Yesterday, attorneys for the Global Relief Foundation argued in federal appeals court that the government should be barred from freezing the charity’s assets and shutting it down. Earlier this month, the Treasury Department designated the charity a terrorist group, invoking federal law and the PATRIOT Act. Since the government seized Global Relief's assets last December, officials have alleged that GRF supported terrorism, but have yet to criminally charge the charity with any crime or provide proof of their allegations in open court.

Global Relief and its cofounder, Ann Arbor Muslim Cleric Rabih Haddad, flatly deny the charges.

Meanwhile, the charity has effectively been shuttered since it was raided by federal officials last December, and Haddad -- who was arrested the same day the charity was raided -- remains jailed on a technical visa violation, where he continues to fight to keep his court proceedings open to the public. Civil liberties and constitutional rights advocates, who joined several media outlets in fighting the government's efforts to close Haddad's immigration hearings to the press and public, are closely monitoring the case. Haddad's supporters continue to charge that he and Global Relief are being scapegoated by the government in their efforts to shut down all Muslim charities whose humanitarian efforts are not under direct government control.

Chris Geovanis of Chicago Indymedia reports for Free Speech Radio News.