Aloke Chakravarty
The United States Attorney's Office District of Massachusetts
United States Federal Courthouse
1 Courthouse Way, Suite 9200
Boston, Massachusetts 02210
TEL:617-748-3658
FAX:617-748-3664

Assistant US Attorney Aloke Chakravarty:

I am writing concerning the case of Mr. Tarek Mehanna, a well-respected member of the Muslim community. Highly educated, with a doctorate in pharmacy, he is himself a trusted educator of children, known for his exceptional commitment to helping others.

The FBI's actions against Tarek Mehanna, and the government's decision to prosecute him under charges of "terrorism," are an outrageous example of religious persecution and institutional abuse of power. After arresting Mr. Mehanna in 2008 under the claim that he made "false statements," the FBI repeatedly pressured him to spy on other members of the Muslim community. When he refused to cooperate with what he recognized as a selective policy of religious persecution against Muslims, the FBI arrested him for "terrorism."

These actions can only be construed as vindictive and retaliatory: the FBI has claimed no evidence of new activities to support this second arrest, no information that they did not possess in 2008. Are we to believe that the FBI had credible evidence that Mr. Mehanna was truly a threat to the community in 2008, but failed to bring such charges against him, and thus allowed him to go free on bail for the following year?

Even if the allegations brought against Mr. Mehanna were true, they would themselves be instances of constitutionally protected activities. He is charged with translating documents, posting opinions on websites and having conversations. To define such actions as "material support for terrorism" means punishing US citizens for thought crimes.

Mr. Mehanna's arrest is one more example of religious persecution against Muslims and the suppression of basic civil rights and civil liberties. A growing movement of US citizens considers this arrest and others like it to be one of the greatest domestic threats of the last few years.

I urge you to drop the charges against Tarek Mehanna and allow his immediate release.

Sincerely,