U.S. jury delivers mixed verdict in Hamas trial
Source: Reuters
CHICAGO, Feb 1 (Reuters) - A U.S. jury on Thursday found two Palestinian-born men not guilty of the most serious charges facing them in what prosecutors said was a 15-year scheme to illegally finance Hamas terrorist activities in Israel. Muhammad Salah, 53, of the Chicago suburb of Bridgeview, Illinois, and co-defendant Abdelhaleem Ashqar, 48, who taught at Howard University in Washington and lives in Springfield, Virginia, were each found not guilty of racketeering conspiracy. They were found guilty of lesser charges of obstructing justice. A federal grand jury indictment said Salah was the point person for money transfers that went to Hamas. Ashqar was described by prosecutors as a behind-the-scenes operative who helped coordinate Hamas activities. The indictment alleged that from 1988 to 2003 they helped fund Hamas, which leads the Palestinian government, but which Israel, the United States and the European Union regard as a terrorist group.
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