[Note: We will add video and a report from a Legal Insurrection correspondent at the court house as an Update later.] (Video here)
Rasmea Odeh was convicted in Israel of the 1969 bombing of the Super Sol supermarket in Jerusalem, in which Hebrew University students Edward Joffe and Leon Kanner were killed, in addition to the attempted bombing of the British Consulate.
Rasmea served 10 years of a life sentence before being released in a prisoner exchange in 1979 for an Israeli soldier captured in Lebanon. Rasmea later immigrated to the United States, where she has made Chicago her home since the mid-1990s.
In November 2014, Rasmea was convicted in federal court in Detroit of falsely procuring naturalization, by concealing her Israeli convictions and incarceration.
The evidence supporting both the Israeli and Detroit convictions is overwhelming and from multiple sources, as I demonstrated in Rasmea Odeh rightly convicted of Israeli supermarket bombing and U.S. immigration fraud. Rasmea’s claim that she confessed to the bombing only after several weeks of sexual torture was contradicted by the fact that she confessed one day after arrest, and by corroborating evidence including a filmed interview years later with a co-conspirator.
The prosecution sought a 5-7 year sentence on the immigration charge, well beyond the 12-21 month guidelines, based in part of Rasmea obstructing justice in the case by lying during testimony and disobeying the Judge’s instructions not to testify as to her alleged torture.
The families of the bombing victims submitted letters to the court, one of which called the Judge’s attention to my post documenting Rasmea’s guilt in the bombing and false claims as to the confession.
The Judge just ruled this morning, sentencing Rasmea to 18 months in prison, revocation of citizenships plus judicially-ordered deportation at the end of prison to Jordan, and fines. (See Twitter stream below)
This is something of a victory for Rasmea, as she avoided the longer prison sentence and remains free on bond pending appeal. It will be many months if not years before she sees a prison cell.
While Rasmea was lucky to avoid a longer sentence, her supporters are predictably infuriated. (See tweets at bottom of post.)
Based on tweets from a Northwestern Univ. journalism student in the courthouse, it appears the Judge accepted that Rasmea obstructed justice, though it didn’t influence the sentence:
The defense counsel made a highly political appeal, portraying Rasmea as a freedom fighter:
The prosecution showed video screenshots we also have posted previously:
Rasmea then addressed the court:
The Judge then ruled:
Reaction from Rasmea Supporters:
Here are some key case documents filed today, the Order Revoking Citizenship, Judicial Order of Removal, and Odeh’s Consent to the Order of Removal (which waives any right to contest deportation assuming the conviction is upheld):
Rasmieh Odeh Case – Order Revoking U.S. Citizenship by Legal Insurrection
Rasmieh Odeh Case – Judicial Order of Removal by Legal Insurrection
Rasmieh Odeh Case – Defendant’s Consent to Judicial Order of Removal by Legal Insurrection
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