Federal Judge Sets Deadline For Testimony From Detained Intel Employee

Maher “Mike” Hawash is an Arab-American software engineer for Intel who was arrested on March 20 by the FBI's Joint Terrorism Task Force. Hawash, 38, a U.S. citizen, is being held in solitary confinement as a material witness, a designation which allows him to be held indefinitely without being charged with a crime.

 

The Department of Justice required a federal court to seal Hawash's case, and the government did not publicly acknowledge his status until this week. On Monday a federal judge set a deadline for prosecutors to take testimony from him. U.S. District Judge Robert Jones' order requires prosecutors to take a deposition from Hawash or present him to the grand jury to testify by April 25.

 

The 1984 material witness statute was designed to help reveal testimony from unwilling witnesses or those thought likely to flee the country, and it has been used since 9-11 to detain suspects indefinitely without charging them with any crime.

 

According to an investigation by The Washington Post, at least 44 people have been detained as material witnesses in 9-11 terrorist probes. None of the witnesses being held have been charged with any crime, and nearly half were not called to testify before a grand jury. At least seven were U.S. citizens.

 

The FBI and the U.S. attorney's office have repeatedly declined to comment on Hawash. The only explanation for his arrest is said to be a link between Hawash and a charitable organization called Global Relief Foundation, to which he made a contribution of more than $10,000. Two years later, officials accused the charity of having possible financial links to terrorism and froze its assets. The charity has denied the accusations and is fighting a deportation order for one of its founders. A gag order prevents Hawash's attorneys from commenting.

 

Friends and former colleagues have launched a website, FreeMikeHawash.org, urging his release and have collected donations for his defense. According to an article by Wired.com, the website has been gaining a considerable amount of attention, as indicated by Internet traffic charts.

 

One person championing his cause is former Intel VP Steven McGeady, who hired Hawash as a programmer in 1992. McGeady was a high-profile witness in the Microsoft antitrust trial and is now acting as a family spokesman.

 

Hawash became a U.S. citizen in 1988. His wife and two of his children are American-born.

 

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