MEPE

[HBendor]

Rep. Weiner Renews Call for Clemency for Jonathan Pollard
Justice4JPnews - December 1, 2008

In a powerful and heartfelt letter, New York City Representative Anthony
Weiner
(D Queens and Brooklyn) today renewed his call for President Bush to
grant clemency in the case of Jonathan Pollard, who is serving a life
sentence for passing information to Israel. The full text of the letter
from Rep. Weiner to President George Bush appears below.


December 1, 2008
Honorable George Bush
President
The White House

Dear President Bush:

I write to request that you grant clemency to Jonathan Pollard.

This year Mr. Pollard celebrated his 54th birthday. This is the 23rd
year that he has celebrated his birthday in prison. No other person
convicted of espionage on behalf of a United States ally has ever been
imprisoned for so long.

Mr. Pollard has admitted that he broke U.S. laws. He has expressed
sorrow for what he did. Mr. Pollard cooperated fully with the
investigation into his activities and he waived his right to a jury
trial. He has served more than enough time for the crime of passing
information to an ally.

The life sentence which Jonathan Pollard is now serving is not a
reflection of the severity of the crimes he committed, but rather the
result of past ineffective counsel and a damage assessment report
written by an intelligence community that was badly shaken by unrelated
espionage cases earlier that year. In a review of Mr. Pollards case,
Former federal Judge George Leighton wrote, "[t]he evidence shows that
the government engaged in serious misconduct that went unchecked by an
ineffective defense counsel, Richard Hibey, and... these constitutional
violations severely prejudiced Mr. Pollard, and resulted in his sentence
of life in prison.?

Mr. Pollard did commit a serious crime and he deserved to be punished
for his action. However, after reviewing the facts of the case and
receiving multiple classified briefings on this matter, I believe that
he has served a sentence that far exceeds the appropriate term for the
crimes he has committed. Mr. President, the time has come to free
Jonathan Pollard. I respectfully urge you to grant him clemency and send
him home to Israel.

Thank you for your consideration of this matter.

Sincerely,

ANTHONY D. WEINER
Member of Congress

JUSTICE FOR JONATHAN POLLARD
Website: http://www.JonathanPollard.org
RSS: http://www.JonathanPollard.org/rss.htm


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Website: www.imra.org.il
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JUDEA & SAMARIA are clear and unquestionably JEWISH!

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