FAYETTEVILLE — Former University of Arkansas graduate student Arwah Jaber will keep his U. S. citizenship a few months longer, a federal judge ruled Friday.
U. S. District Court Judge Jimm Larry Hendren said it was too early to revoke Jaber's naturalization status, even though he was convicted June 19 on five of six federal charges.
"The government has pointed the court to no precedent which would support a revocation of the defendant's naturalization immediately after the return of a jury's verdict and prior to sentencing," Hendren wrote in his order.
Jaber, 34, was arrested in May 2005 after telling his UA professors and other students he was leaving Fayetteville to join the Palestinian Islamic Jihad to fight in its "holy war" against Israel. Jaber testified that he made those statements out of frustration over not being able to obtain his graduate degree.
A federal jury found Jaber innocent on the terrorism charge, but convicted him of using another person's Social Security number to acquire credit cards, making false statements to get his passport and naturalization status and improperly gaining naturalization status.
Jaber is expected to be sentenced later this summer.