Raunaq Alam, one of the Tarrant 2, is back in custody after turning himself in Wednesday (9/24) to face a new charge of “aggravated perjury” just days after he defeated the politically-motivated hate crime enhancement against him on September 12. The Palestine solidarity activist Alam received word of the new charge when speaking to supporters at a press conference Wednesday while released on bond.
Alam was released on bond 9/17 pending his appeal against the judge in the conclusion of his trial on September 12 adding 180 days of jail time to his sentence, which was originally suggested by the jury to only include six months of probation. This came after the jury found Alam not guilty of the hate crime enhancement added by the prosecution, itself a victory for Alam, the Palestine solidarity movement, and all conscious people opposed to the restriction of democratic rights.
The specific perjury charge relates to the prosecutions’ allegation that Alam lied on the stand in saying he never used drugs—the prosecution examined Alam on the stand during the September 12 trial about drug use, forcing him to eschew his rights against self-incrimination and address text messages they allege show the activist discussing purchasing and using small amounts of psychedelic drugs, while presenting unrelated charges for possession of less than a gram of psychedelic mushrooms.
The prosecution used these unrelated matters in an attempt to smear Alam’s character, casting doubt unsuccessfully onto his commitment to the cause of Palestinian liberation. They are trying again with a new tactic of repression using the perjury charges after their efforts failed on September 12.
Alam’s lawyer argued in court that the hate crime enhancement—for the act of spray painting “Fuck Israel” on the property of Uncommon Church last year, an ultra-reactionary mega-church in Euless, TX, flying an Israeli flag and whose leadership has links to the genocidal Israeli Defense Forces—was an attack on freedom of speech and an attempt to repress political speech through twisting the concept of a hate crime. Alam’s successful defense hinged on the fact that his actions were motivated by solidarity with the Palestinian people and rejection of the US-Zionist genocide, not out of hate against any religious group.
The September 12 conclusion of Alam’s trial was a victory for the Palestine solidarity movement and an embarrassment for the prosecution—Alam defeated the dangerous hate crime enhancement, and his testimony and that of his defense attorney showcased the crimes of Zionism in the courtroom for all to see.
The state had flipped Julia Venzor, one of the three people accused of vandalizing the church, to testify against the Tarrant 2 during the trial, using the threat of separating her from her children, but this was not enough to make the hate crime enhancement stick against the upright stand taken by Alam as a servant of the people.
The trial for Afsheen Khan, the second of the Tarrant 2, begins September 30, now with the backdrop of the state lashing out against Alam for their failure in the first trial.
Image: Raunaq Alam behind bars before his release on 9/17 to begin his appeal process. He is now imprisoned again as of 9/24.
The Worker calls on its readers to continue to support the Tarrant 2 by donating to Alam’s fundraiser here, as he faces growing expenses both for the appeal process and the new charges in the state’s attempt to continue their repression of Palestinian solidarity activism, and to donate to Afsheen Khan’s fundraiser here as her September 30 trial date approaches. We also repeat our call to all our readers, supporters, and people of conscience to support political prisoner Raunaq Alam during his imprisonment by writing letters, donating money to his commissary, and sending him books.
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