U.S. Court Orders Release of Islamic Charity Fundraiser Held Since 2004 Over Alleged Terror Funding

Charity News Online

A federal judge has ordered that a top fundraiser for an Islamic charity the U.S. government says has ties to terrorism be released from detention, his attorney said Thursday. Abdel-Jabbar Hamdan, who has been held for two years, was ordered released without bond, according to his attorney, Ranjana Natarajan of the American Civil Liberties Union of Southern California.

Hamdan, who also founded a mosque in Anaheim, was arrested on immigration charges in July 2004 as federal authorities unsealed an indictment against the Holy Land Foundation for Relief and Development. The government charged the Texas-based charity funneled millions to the Palestinian militant group Hamas, The Associated Press reported.

The following month, Hamdan was ordered deported on the immigration charges. His requests to be released on bond while he fights the charges had been denied repeatedly until this week.

charity, fundraising, Holy Land Foundation for Relief and Development, Hamas