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Brother charged with aiding Hamas freed
DALLAS, Texas (CNN) -- One of four brothers arrested last week for conspiracy and money laundering in connection with the Islamic group Hamas was released from federal custody Monday but will continue to be monitored electronically. A federal magistrate ruled at a detention hearing Saturday that two of the brothers, Ghassan and Basman Elashi, were not flight risks and should be released. Under the conditions of his release, Ghassan Elashi, 49, must wear an electronic ankle bracelet and will be allowed to travel only to his job, his attorney's office, and his mosque. But Basman Elashi, 46, is still in custody on "an immigration hold," according to the Elashis' attorney, Michael Gibson. The Elashis and their brothers Bayan and Hazim were arrested Wednesday in suburban Richardson after they and their Web-hosting company, InfoCom Corp., were indicted by a federal grand jury in Dallas. The brothers are scheduled to be arraigned January 10. The 33-count indictment filed last Tuesday also named a fifth brother, Ihsan Elashyi, who is in prison after pleading guilty in June to illegally exporting computer equipment to Saudi Arabia, credit card fraud, money laundering and wire fraud. In addition, the indictment named Mousa Abu Marzook, whom it described as an admitted Hamas leader, and his wife, Nadia Elashi, whom the indictment identified as a cousin of the five brothers. All seven defendants and InfoCom were charged with making illegal exports, making false statements on export declarations, dealing in the property of a federally designated terrorist (Marzook), conspiracy and money laundering. In addition, Ghassan Elashi and his brothers were charged with illegally selling computers and computer parts to Libya and Syria, both designated by the U.S. government as state sponsors of terrorism. Bayan and Hazim Elashi remain in federal custody. Marzook was deported some time ago and his wife is believed to be with him. According to the indictment, Marzook is an admitted member of Hamas, a Palestinian group designated a terrorist organization by the U.S. State and Treasury departments. At one time he served as chief of the group's political bureau and is now deputy chief, the indictment said. Hamas' military wing, Izzedine al Qassam, has admitted launching terrorist attacks against Israeli civilians and military personnel. According to the indictment, the U.S. Treasury Department in 1995 named Marzook a "specially designated terrorist" because of his association with Hamas. Under federal law, the designation made it illegal for anyone in the country to conduct business with him. The indictment said the Elashi brothers continued to engage in financial transactions with Marzook after the designation. Ghassan Elashi also serves as chairman of the Holy Land Foundation for Relief and Development based in Richardson. The government froze $5 million of the organization's assets last year after it determined the foundation may have been aiding a terrorist organization. Marzook was said to have made donations to the Holy Land Foundation in the early 1990s, according to a foundation attorney. On December 3, 2001, federal agents confiscated records, phones, computers files and furniture from the Holy Land Foundation's headquarters. The charity's branch offices in New York, New Jersey, Illinois, California and Florida were shut down. The foundation is still under investigation. It has filed a lawsuit against the government claiming the searches and seizures were illegal.
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