In a surprising turn of events, Mofid Abdel Kader Mashaal, brother to the former chairman of Hamas' political wing, Khaled Mashaal, was released from a U.S. prison last week.
The release comes amidst a flurry of pardons and commutations issued by President Joe Biden. While the U.S. government has yet to confirm Mashaal's release, Arab media outlets have extensively covered the story.
According to The Post Millennial, Mashaal had served 16 years of his sentence and is now expected to spend a year in a rehabilitation facility. His release was not an isolated incident. The sentences of four other American Palestinians were also significantly reduced, including that of Muhammad al-Zain, a relative of Hamas Deputy Chairman Musa Abu Marzouk.
This development has sparked renewed interest in the case of the "Holy Land Foundation Five." These individuals, Shukri Abu-Baker, Ghassan Elashi, Mufid Abdulqader, Abdulrahman Odeh, and Mohammad Elmezain, were convicted during a high-profile trial. Their release has been a rallying cry for far-left and international activists who have urged President Biden to intervene.
The release of Mashaal comes amidst swirling rumors of a potential hostage deal between Hamas and Israel. The terrorist organization currently holds over 100 hostages, including seven Americans. Some of these hostages are believed to be deceased, their bodies retained by Hamas since the October 7 massacre.
Mashaal was initially sentenced to 20 years for financing Hamas through the Holy Land Foundation, formerly one of the largest Islamic charitable organizations in the U.S.. The 2008 trial, which resulted in his conviction, was the largest terror trial in U.S. history. The defendants were found guilty of providing material support to Hamas, a foreign terrorist organization recognized as such by the U.S.
During this trial, the Council of American Islamic Relations (CAIR) was named as an unindicted co-conspirator by the U.S. Justice Department. Despite this, many progressive Democratic candidates and politicians continue to accept endorsements and donations from the group and its donors.
Last Thursday, the White House announced that President Biden was commuting the sentences of approximately 1,500 individuals and pardoning 39 others. The administration stated that these actions were intended for those convicted of non-violent crimes. This is the highest number of pardons and commutations issued by a President in U.S. history. It remains to be seen whether Mashaal's release was part of this wave of presidential mercy.
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