An appeals court has upheld the conviction of five former top officials with the Holy Land Foundation, once the nation’s largest Muslim charity. The five were convicted on charges of supporting the Palestinian group Hamas, though they were never accused of supporting violence, instead for funding charities that aided needy Palestinians. The State Department had also funded the same groups. The government’s case relied on Israeli intelligence, as well as disputed documents and electronic surveillance gathered by the FBI over a span of 15 years. The first trial ended in a hung jury, but prosecutors obtained convictions in a retrial the following year. Defense attorneys say they expect to file a new appeal that will eventually reach the U.S. Supreme Court.
Appeals Court Upholds Muslim Charity Convictions
HeadlineDec 08, 2011