(Washington Post/AP) - A Palestinian activist who refused to testify before a federal grand jury investigating Hamas has been indicted on criminal contempt charges, officials said Friday. Abdelhaleem Ashqar, 45, of Alexandria, a former professor at Howard University, refused to testify despite a grant of immunity, prompting U.S. Chicago District Chief Judge Charles P. Kocoras to hold Ashqar for contempt, officials said. Chicago has been a center of charitable fundraising for Muslim causes, and prosecutors have closed a number of such charities they say have been used to funnel cash to Hamas as well as bin Laden's terrorist network.
2003-10-13 00:00:00Full ArticleBACK Visit the Daily Alert Archive