•  HOME 
•  ARCHIVES 
•  BOOKS 
•  PDF ARCHIVE 
•  WWP 
•  SUBSCRIBE 
•  DONATE 
•  MUNDOOBRERO.ORG      

Free Ahlam Mohsen!

BULLETIN: Ahlam Mohsen was released from jail on a reduced bond the evening of Aug. 24 and the state charges suspended pending an FBI investigation into possible federal charges of “assaulting a member of Congress.” Urgent calls should be placed to U.S. Sen. Carl Levin at the number and contact information below to demand an immediate cessation of all investigations and charges.

Police photo of Ahlam Mohsen.

Ahlam Mohsen, a 22-year-old student at Michigan State University, was arrested Aug. 15 and charged with two felony counts after she threw a pie at Sen. Carl Levin as an anti-war protest. She is being held on a $250,000 bond, requiring $25,000 cash for her release.

The pie-throwing incident, which Levin originally laughed off in the media, occurred during a Mecosta County Democratic Party meeting at a restaurant in Big Rapids, Mich., about 200 miles northwest of Detroit.

During a question-and-answer period, anti-war activist Max Kantar read a statement charging Levin with war crimes and imperialist actions through his role as chair of the Armed Services Committee. Kantar’s statement confronted Levin on the continued U.S. financial support of Israel, the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, U.S. policy on Iran and the homeless population in Detroit. (statenews.com, Aug. 16)

Aug. 20 protesters demanded that charges against Mohsen be dropped. WW photo: Bryan G. Pfeifer

As Kantar finished reading the statement, Mohsen threw an apple pie at the senator. She reportedly told the Big Rapids Pioneer newspaper that she wanted to “send a message that liberals and Democrats are just as implicated in the violence of war as the Republicans.”

Shortly after the incident, Mohsen was arrested by police and taken to Mecosta County Jail, where she awaits arraignment on felony charges of assault and stalking. Kantar was arrested Aug. 18 for his involvement in the incident and is also facing felony charges of stalking, but was released Aug. 20 on a $10,000 bond. Mohsen’s next court date is scheduled for Aug. 30.

Supporters of Mohsen gathered Aug. 20 at the McNamara Federal Building in Detroit for a press conference and demonstration sponsored by the Michigan Emergency Committee Against War and Injustice. A delegation went inside to meet with staff from Senator Levin’s office to demand that Mohsen be released from jail immediately and that all charges against her be dropped.

Throughout the demonstration, supporters chanted, “Free Ahlam Mohsen — Drop the charges now!” and “Jail the war criminals!” among other slogans. They called Mohsen “a people’s hero” and demanded her immediate freedom. The protest received widespread media coverage around Michigan, including Big Rapids, where Mohsen is incarcerated.

A “Support Ahlam Mohsen” page on Facebook was created soon after her arrest, drawing nearly 200 members in just several days. Mohsen, who is a vegan and of Yemeni origin, has reportedly been mistreated in jail by being called racial epithets and being refused food that meets her dietary needs.

MSU student and activist Mitch Goldsmith told Workers World, “I’ve known Ahlam for years and she is an empathetic, intelligent, amazing person who fights like hell to make this world a more compassionate place for all those who inhabit it.

“Ahlam is involved in many social justice struggles, but I know that Palestine and the suffering of the Palestinian people are very close to her heart.” Mohsen was recently jailed inside occupied Palestine by the Israeli authorities and deported back to the U.S. because of her solidarity with the Palestinian people’s struggle against the Zionist apartheid state.

The charges Mohsen faces indicate a significant and dangerous attack on free speech and the right of the people to protest injustices. It is clear that the state intends to use fear and intimidation to discourage people from holding elected officials accountable for their actions and inactions, particularly concerning war and state-sponsored violence inflicted upon innocent people on a global scale. This political repression is unacceptable and must be addressed.

Supporters are urgently requested to take action to help obtain freedom and justice for Ahlam Mohsen and Max Kantar:

Contact Sen. Carl Levin’s office and demand that he immediately call the Mecosta County Prosecutor’s Office and have all charges against Mohsen and Kantar dropped and in the meantime to reduce Mohsen’s quarter-million-dollar bond so that she doesn’t have to spend another night in jail. Phone Levin at 313-226-6020; fax 313-266-6948; or e-mail by going to http://levin.senate.gov/contact/.

Call the Mecosta County Prosecutor’s Office directly at 231-592-0141 and demand all charges be dropped immediately.

Call the Mecosta Country Jail at 231-592-0156 (24-hour line) and request that Mohsen be fed vegan food to meet her dietary requirements.

Attend Mohsen’s Aug. 30 court date at 1:30 p.m. at the Mecosta County Courthouse, 400 Elm Street, Big Rapids, Mich.

Supporters can also write to Mohsen at Mecosta County Jail, Attn: Inmate Ahlam Mohsen, 225 South Stewart Street, Big Rapids, MI 49307.

Spencer is a student activist at Michigan State University.