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It should also be noted that not only was Sabzali bound by Canadian law, *not* to abide by the U.S blockade, but that the U.S itself is in violation of the U.N charter and International Humanitatian law by denying needed water treatment, medicines and other requirements of human life to civilians! SHAME!!! ============================================================
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The outrageous aspects of this decision are multiple -- convicting a Canadian for not obeying US laws when Canadian law forbade him to do so; the fact that these two men could face a combined total of over 500 years in prison for selling WATER PURIFICATION chemicals to Cuban hospitals ---
U.S. jury convicts Canadian of trading with Cuba
By Deborah Scoblionkov
PHILADELPHIA, April 3 (Reuters) - A Canadian businessman was convicted on Wednesday of violating the U.S. embargo against Cuba in a case likely to widen a dispute between the United States and Canada over trade relations with the communist-ruled nation.
James Sabzali, 42, whom U.S. authorities described as the only foreign national ever prosecuted for alleged infringement of the Cuban embargo, was found guilty by a federal jury on 20 counts of violating the U.S. Trading With the Enemy Act (TWEA) and one count of conspiracy.
Two of his fellow business executives, both U.S. citizens, were also convicted, along with their Bala Cynwyd, Pennsylvania-based chemical company Bro-Tech Corp., after a two-week trial over the alleged sale of $2.1 million worth of water purification chemicals to Cuba.
A 77-count indictment charged Bro-Tech and its executives with arranging the sales through intermediaries in Canada and Mexico between 1992 and 2000. The three executives could now spend years in prison and face steep fines.
"I'm simply shocked and confused," a visibly shaken Sabzali said after the jury of seven women and five men delivered their verdict on Wednesday, ending four days of deliberations.
The case has caused a public outcry in Canada, where political leaders and the news media accuse the United States of trying to undermine Canadian sovereignty.
Cuba is Canada's largest trading partner in the Caribbean, with trade between the two countries exceeding $435 million a year. Canadians living in Canada are also prohibited by law from complying with the 40-year-old U.S. embargo.
But Sabzali, who became a U.S. resident after moving to suburban Philadelphia in 1996, was convicted of at least seven TWEA violations that allegedly occurred while he was still living in Canada.
"There's nothing willy nilly about this verdict. It's clear the jury looked at the evidence and analyzed the evidence per individual, per count," said assistant U.S. Attorney Joe Poluka, who prosecuted the case.
The Canadian government, which had been following the trial closely after lodging protests with the U.S. State Department, had no immediate comment on the verdict.
U.S. District Judge Mary McLaughlin scheduled a sentencing hearing for June 28.
Sabzali faces a maximum sentence of 205 years in prison and over $5 million in fines. Bro-Tech Vice President Donald Brodie faces 330 years in prison and $8.3 million in fines after being convicted on 34 counts. His brother, company President Stefan Brodie, could spend up to five years in prison and pay $1 million in fines for a single-count conspiracy conviction.
However, before the trial began on March 15, prosecutors had already recommended prison sentences of 41 months to 51 months based on the indictment.
The verdict could result in the forfeiture of the company, which was convicted on 45 counts carrying a maximum penalty of $44.5 million.
18:38 04-03-02
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