Rasmea Odeh

Rasmea Yousef Odeh
Born 1947/1948[1]
Lifta, British Mandate Palestine
Residence Evergreen Park, Illinois, U.S.
Other names Rasmea Yousef, Rasmieh Steve, Rasmieh Joseph Steve, Rasmieh Odeh, Rasmieh Yousef Odeh
Occupation Associate director of the Arab American Action Network, Chicago, Illinois
Criminal charge a) Involvement in two terrorist bombings in Jerusalem, including a fatal one;
b) Immigration fraud
Conviction(s) a) Yes (life sentence)
(b) 18 months in federal prison, stripping of US citizenship, and deportation from US to Jordan, once she has served her sentence, conviction was vacated by the appellate court.
Killings
Country Israel
Target(s) Jerusalem supermarket and British Consulate
Killed 2
Injured 9
Weapons Bombs
Imprisoned at Sentenced to life imprisonment, served just ten years in Israel
In custody November 10 – December 11, 2014, in Michigan, but freed on bond pending sentencing; sentenced to 18 months in federal prison on March 12, 2015.

Rasmea Yousef Odeh (born 1947/1948; also known as Rasmea Yousef, Rasmieh Steve, and Rasmieh Joseph Steve)[2][3] is a Palestinian woman and former United States citizen. She served as associate director at the Arab American Action Network in Chicago, Illinois.[4][5][6][7]

Odeh was convicted in 1970 by an Israeli military court of involvement in fatal terrorist bombings, and in 2014 by a US federal jury of immigration fraud. She was sentenced to life in prison in Israel for her involvement in two terrorist bombings in Jerusalem in 1969, one of which killed two people, and involvement in an illegal organization, the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine (PFLP). She spent 10 years in prison before she was released in a prisoner exchange with the PFLP in 1980.[8]

Odeh was convicted of immigration fraud on November 10, 2014, by a jury in federal court in Detroit, Michigan, for concealing her arrest, conviction, and imprisonment for the 1969 bombings.[9][10] On December 11, 2014, she was released on bond pending sentencing.[10][11][12] Odeh's counsel maintains she did not receive a "full and fair trial" because the judge ruled as irrelevant her testimony that her confession to the crimes had been extracted by torture while she was in the custody of Israeli police in 1969.[11] On February 13, 2015, federal Judge Gershwin A. Drain denied Odeh's request that he either overturn the federal jury’s conviction of her or grant her a new trial. He ruled that her argument lacked legal merit, as evidence showed that Odeh illegally obtained U.S. citizenship, the jurors "clearly did not believe [her] explanation", and that "the evidence was more than sufficient to support the jury’s verdict."[13][14]

Odeh was sentenced to 18 months in federal prison on March 12, 2015, stripped of her US citizenship, and will be deported from the United States to Jordan once she is done serving her time.[15][16][17][17][18] She is free on bail while she appeals.[15] Her conviction was vacated by the 6th Circuit Court of Appeals and sent back to the District Court in February 2016.[19]

Conviction and imprisonment in Israel

Odeh was arrested in March 1969, and in 1970 was convicted and sentenced by an Israeli military court to life in prison for her involvement in two terrorist bombings in Jerusalem and involvement in an illegal organization, the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine (PFLP).[5][6][7][20][21][22] Odeh's legal representation disputes the veracity of her confession to these crimes, based on her allegation that it was obtained after torture by the Israeli military.[11] American federal prosecutors in a later case said that the Israeli investigators had found "extensive bomb-making materials and explosives" and "explosive bricks in her room".[23]

One of the bombings killed 21-year-old Leon Kanner of Netanya and 22-year-old Eddie Joffe of a Tel Aviv suburb, on February 21, 1969. The two were killed by a bomb that was placed in a crowded Jerusalem SuperSol supermarket which the two students stopped in at to buy groceries for a field trip.[5][6][7][20][21][22][24][25] The same bomb wounded nine others.[22] A second bomb found at the supermarket was defused.[24] Odeh was also convicted of bombing and damaging the British Consulate four days later.[4][21][26][27] Israeli authorities said the bombings were the work of the PFLP, which claimed credit for the bombings.[24][28]

In 1980, Odeh was among 78 prisoners released by Israel in an exchange with the PFLP for one Israeli soldier captured in Lebanon.[6][7][28] Odeh's lawyer stated she testified at the United Nations about allegedly being tortured.[11]

Entry into US; application for citizenship

In 1995, Odeh entered the United States from Jordan.[6][29] At the time, according to her later federal indictment, she stated she had no criminal record.[30][31] The U.S. Attorney in the Eastern District of Michigan said: "An individual convicted of a terrorist bombing would not be admitted to the United States if that information was known at the time of arrival."[21] In 2004, Odeh applied to become a United States citizen.[5] According to her indictment, on her immigration forms, she again answered "no" as to whether she had received and criminal convictions or served any time in prison; her defense attorneys claimed that she understood the form to be referring to her time in the United States.[5][30]

Jennifer Williams, the Detroit immigration officer who interviewed Odeh in 2004, testified that she makes a point of clarifying to applicants that the question applies to convictions "anywhere in the world."[32] Odeh would later testify that Williams had not done so in her case.[32] Odeh was sworn in as a naturalized US citizen under the name "Rasmieh Joseph Steve" on December 9, 2004.[3][5][6][22][25] She initially lived in Jackson, Michigan.[33]

She appeared in the 2004 documentary Women in Struggle by Buthina Canaan Khoury, about four Palestinian women imprisoned in Israeli jails, which her opponents say provide evidence of her involvement in the bombings.[34][35] She became associate director of the Arab American Action Network in Chicago.[5]

Conviction for immigration fraud in the US

Odeh was indicted on October 17, 2013, for concealing her arrest, conviction, and imprisonment in her application, and for lying as to where she had lived previously. She was arrested five days later at her home in Evergreen Park, Illinois, in the Chicago area.[6][20][27][36]

In May 2014, Odeh rejected a pre-trial offer from federal prosecutors that would have limited any prison sentence to a maximum of six months and, after that, allowed her to remain free (for a maximum of six months) until her deportation. She said she felt it was not in her best interest, and preferred the case to go to trial.[29]

In August 2014, the first judge assigned to the case, federal district court Judge Paul Borman, recused himself after he learned that his family was part owners in the supermarket that had been bombed in 1969. He stated that his financial ties "could be perceived as establishing a reasonably objective inference of a lack of impartiality in the context of the issues presented in this case."[37] Odeh's lawyers had earlier requested that he step down because he had received an award from the Jewish Federation of Metropolitan Detroit for supporting Israel, that his family had fundraised for a pro-Israeli charity, and that he had made many trips to Israel. He said that Odeh's lawyers were engaged in "careless and rank speculation" for suggesting that he could not be impartial in the case, stating that "a judge’s prior activities relating to his religious convictions are not a valid basis for questioning his impartiality in a particular case". He noted that some of the material brought forward applied to his cousin rather than himself.[38]

Judge Gershwin A. Drain

Odeh was tried in November 2014 for immigration fraud before a federal jury in Detroit, Michigan, with Judge Gershwin A. Drain presiding.[5][6][7] She was accused of concealing her 1969–70 arrest, conviction, and imprisonment when she filed US immigration papers.[5][6][29] Odeh was also accused of lying in her immigration papers about her prior residency, falsely claiming that she had lived only in Jordan from 1948 until her application.[25][39]

Before trial, her defense argued that Odeh had been tortured while in prison, and suffered from posttraumatic stress disorder. Judge Drain ruled that evidence on these matters were irrelevant to whether Odeh lied on her immigration documents, and disallowed testimony on these topics.[39][40]

Odeh was convicted of immigration fraud in federal court in Detroit on November 10, 2014, for concealing her prior arrest, conviction, and imprisonment.[9][10] The jury deliberated for two hours before rendering its verdict.[41] Judge Drain told the jury: "I think your verdict is a fair and reasonable one based on the evidence that came in."[32]

She had her bail revoked and was taken into custody upon the conclusion of her trial, as the judge found her to be a flight risk, and was incarcerated in Port Huron, Michigan.[10][11][23] On December 8, Judge Drain agreed to allow her to be released on a $50,000 cash bond, pending sentencing, which was effected on December 11, 2014.[12][23] On February 13, 2015, Judge Drain denied Odeh's request that he either overturn the federal jury's conviction of her or grant her a new trial, ruling that her argument lacked legal merit.[13][14] The judge held that evidence showed that Odeh illegally obtained U.S. citizenship, the jurors "clearly did not believe [her] explanation", and "the evidence was more than sufficient to support the jury’s verdict."[13][14] Odeh was sentenced to 18 months in federal prison by Judge Drain on March 12, 2015, and stripped of her US citizenship, and will be deported from the United States to Jordan once she is done serving her time.[15][16][18][42][43] She will be free on bail while she appeals.[15][17] On February 25, 2016 the 6th Circuit U.S. Court of Appeals unanimously vacated her conviction of an immigration violation, sending the case back to Judge Drain to reconsider the admissibility of expert testimony.[19]

References

  1. ↑ Anna Lekas Miller (November 1, 2013). "Prominent Palestinian-American Community Activist Arrested". The Daily Beast.
  2. ↑ Jason Meisner (October 22, 2013). "Feds: Woman hid terror conviction to get citizenship". Chicago Tribune. Retrieved November 21, 2014.
  3. 1 2 "Order Revoking United States Citizenship", US v. Odeh, US District Court for the Eastern District of Michigan, March 12, 2015 (Gershwin A. Drain, US District Judge)
  4. 1 2 Jason Meisner (October 22, 2013). "Feds: Woman hid terror conviction to get citizenship". Chicago Tribune.
  5. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 "Arab-American activist on trial for allegedly concealing terror role in immigration papers". The Guardian. November 5, 2014.
  6. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 "Trial set for Jerusalem terror convict who moved to US". The Times of Israel. September 3, 2014.
  7. 1 2 3 4 5 "Palestinian convicted of two bombings back in U.S. court over immigration fraud". Haaretz. September 2, 2014.
  8. ↑ Warikoo, Niraj (November 11, 2014). "Jury finds Rasmieh Odeh guilty of lying on immigration papers". Detroit Free Press. Retrieved February 18, 2016.
  9. 1 2 "US activist found guilty of not disclosing conviction in fatal Jerusalem bombing". The Guardian. November 10, 2014.
  10. 1 2 3 4 Serena Maria Daniels (November 10, 2014). "Palestinian activist convicted of immigration fraud in Detroit". Reuters.
  11. 1 2 3 4 5 Jacob Meisner (November 10, 2014). "Palestinian activist found guilty of concealing Israeli conviction". Chicago Tribune.
  12. 1 2 Gus Burns (December 11, 2014). "Rasmea Odeh, convicted of lying on immigration forms about terrorist past, to be released on bond". MLive.
  13. 1 2 3 "No New Trial for Arab Activist for Lying About Killing Role". ABC News. February 16, 2015.
  14. 1 2 3 "Judge Slams Rasmieh Odeh's Request for New Trial". Algemeiner. February 16, 2015.
  15. 1 2 3 4 "Prison & Deportation for Hiding Terror Conviction". Courthouse News Service. March 12, 2015.
  16. 1 2 "Prosecutors seek up to 7-year term for Chicago-area Palestinian activist". Chicago Tribune. March 12, 2015.
  17. 1 2 3 "Chicago Activist Gets Prison Term for Immigration Crime". ABC News.
  18. 1 2 Ed White (March 12, 2015). "Chicago Activist Gets Prison Term For Immigration Crime". CBS.
  19. 1 2 Sarah Lazare (February 25, 2016). "Boosting Hopes of a Retrial, Court Rules Palestinian Activist Rasmea Odeh Was Denied Due Process". Alternet. Retrieved 2016-02-27.
  20. 1 2 3 "Naturalized U.S. Citizen Charged with Immigration Fraud for Failing to Disclose Terrorism Conviction". Federal Bureau of Investigation. October 22, 2013.
  21. 1 2 3 4 "Evergreen Park woman Rasmieh Odeh charged with lying about Palestinian terrorist past". ABC13 Houston. October 23, 2013.
  22. 1 2 3 4 Jillian Kay Melchior (February 26, 2014). "Convicted Terrorist Worked as Obamacare Navigator in Illinois; A woman involved in deadly terror bombings in Israel kept her past secret from authorities.". National Review Online.
  23. 1 2 3 Katrease Stafford (December 8, 2014). "Judge OKs bond for Palestinian in immigration fraud". Detroit Free Press.
  24. 1 2 3 "Jerusalem Supersol Re-opens for Business; 2 Young Bombing Victims Are Buried". Jewish Telegraphic Agency. February 24, 1969.
  25. 1 2 3 Barbara Hollingsworth (October 30, 2014). "Convicted Terrorist Goes on Trial in Detroit for Immigration Fraud". CNS. Retrieved February 15, 2015.
  26. ↑ "Trial set for U.S.-Palestinian immigrant convicted in Israel deaths; Rasmieh Odeh is accused of hiding she was convicted in Israel for terror attacks from American immigration officials.". Haaretz. October 3, 2014.
  27. 1 2 Lorraine Swanson (October 21, 2014). "Evergreen Park Woman Accused of Hiding Terrorist Past". Evergreen Park, Illinois Patch.
  28. 1 2 Michael Tarm (October 24, 2013). "Rasmieh Yousef Odeh, Community Activist, Accused Of Hiding Terror Conviction To Gain Citizenship". The Huffington Post.
  29. 1 2 3 Ed White (May 21, 2014). "Chicago activist rejects deal in immigration case". Yahoo News.
  30. 1 2 Ed White (November 5, 2014). "Arab activist lied to get citizenship, jurors told". Deseret News. Retrieved February 15, 2015.
  31. ↑ "Odeh Jury Hears Wildly Differing Theories". Algemeiner. November 6, 2014. Retrieved February 15, 2015.
  32. 1 2 3 Jeff Karoub (November 10, 2014). "Palestinian activist guilty in US immigration case". Yahoo News.
  33. ↑ Niraj Warikoo (March 12, 2015). "Palestinian activist Rasmieh Odeh sentenced to prison for immigration lies". Detroit Free Press.
  34. ↑ Majd Productions website, WomeninStruggle.com; accessed February 15, 2015.
  35. ↑ Niraj Warikoo (November 10, 2014). "Jury finds Rasmieh Odeh guilty of lying on immigration papers". Detroit Free Press.
  36. ↑ Barbara Hollingsworth (October 30, 2014). "Convicted Terrorist Goes on Trial in Detroit for Immigration Fraud". CNS News.
  37. ↑ "Judge quits case over share in Israel stores". Mail Online. August 12, 2014.
  38. ↑ Kim Janssen (July 31, 2014). "Judge, big supporter of Israel, balks at leaving Palestinian terrorism-related case". Chicago Sun Times. Archived from the original on November 6, 2014. Retrieved February 17, 2016.
  39. 1 2 "Four arrested at Oakland courthouse protest". ktvu.com. November 12, 2014. Archived from the original on February 12, 2015. Retrieved February 17, 2016.
  40. ↑ "Arab activist lied to get citizenship, jurors told". Yahoo News. November 5, 2014.
  41. ↑ "Chicago-area activist given 18 months in prison for lying about terrorism role". Chicago Tribune. March 12, 2015.
  42. ↑ "Suburban Palestinian immigrant sentenced to 18 months in prison in terror-related case". Chicago Sun Times. March 12, 2015.
  43. ↑

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