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Imam Could Be Deported
UPDATED: 12:30 pm EDT June 17,
2004
AKRON, Ohio -- Without being able to hear from a Cleveland cleric accused of lying on his immigration papers about terrorist connections, a jury must now decide if he's guilty or not.
Lawyers for Fawaz Damra decided not to call their client or any other witnesses to the stand before resting their case, NewsChannel5 reported. They appeared confident that the prosecution failed to prove its case against the Palestinian-born imam of Ohio's largest mosque in Parma. Both the defense and prosecution presented their closing arguments Thursday. Jurors now have to decide whether Damra lied on the form about persecuting groups based on their race or religion and whether he failed to disclose affiliations to alleged terrorist groups. The 41-year-old faces $5,000 in fines, five years in prison and deportation if he is found guilty.
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Imam Damrah Interview Previous Stories:
- June 16, 2004: Prosecutors Show Video Of Imam's Alleged Ties To Terrorists
- June 15, 2004: Jury Selected In Trial Of Islamic Cleric Over Alleged Terrorism
- June 14, 2004: Judge: No Religious War Comments In Damra Trial
- May 13, 2004: Investigators Look Into Finances Of Local Muslim Cleric
- March 7, 2004: Mosque Assembly Vote To Keep Imam
Copyright 2005 by NewsNet5. The Associated Press contributed to this report. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.
