Supporters of Rasmea Odeh in Detroit for plea agreement hearing
Detroit, MI – On Tuesday, April 25, Palestinian icon Rasmea Odeh was joined in Detroit by supporters from across the Midwest at a federal court hearing on a plea agreement reached last month, on a single violation of immigration law.
At the end of the day’s hearing, sentencing was set for August 17, but the terms of the sentence were discussed in the agreement approved by Judge Gershwin Drain. Odeh will be stripped of her citizenship, and have to leave the U.S. permanently. She will not be sentenced to any prison time, and she will be able to voluntarily depart the country without being detained by immigration authorities.
After the hearing, Rasmea Odeh and her supporters rallied on the steps of the courthouse. According to lead defense attorney Michael Deutsch, the government was prosecuting this simple immigration case as a terrorism case, making it doubtful that Rasmea could receive a fair trial. Hatem Abudayyeh, of the U.S. Palestinian Community Network, described how in battling this case for three and a half years, Odeh has put Israel on trial for its crimes against her and all Palestinians. Several other supporters spoke, praising Odeh's dedication to the cause of Palestinian liberation and her consistent support for other movements.