Video: US House Of Representatives Holds Hearing On Jacob Ostreicher Case

The US House of Representative's Subcommittee on Africa, Global Health, Global Human Rights, and International Organizations held a hearing on the case of Jacob Ostreicher, who has been imprisoned (or under house arrest) in Boliva for two years, even though he has not been charged with a crime, and even though dozens of senior government officials have been arrested for extorting him and/or for stealing from the rice exporting business Ostreicher managed.

Actor and human rights advocate Sean Penn with Jacob Ostreicher outside a Bolivian courtroom late last year. Penn testified at yesterday's hearing.

Rep. Chris Smith (R-NJ), Chairman of the Subcommittee on Africa, Global Health, Global Human Rights, and International Organizations, delivers an opening statement at yesterday's hearing advocating for Jacob Ostreicher's freedom after two years in Bolivian detention:

 

Smith questions Sean Penn:

 

Comments

[Jeff]

It took them two years to get around to this?

"I've said it before, and I'll say it again - democracy simply doesn't work."

- Kent Brockman

[ah-pee-chorus]

if orthodox judaism werent completely static and therefore a perversion of the entire justification and purpose of an unwritten oral torah, i.e. the talmud, then this would be highly significant with halachic ramifications.
the basis of the laws of 'mesirah' require an assumption that jews in general -and frum even more so- are mistreated by their countries' court systems and unable to get a fair trial or proper treatment while incarcerated. thus its prohibited for a jew to go to secular authorities with info or charges that bring another jew into contact with a criminal justice system seen as cruel, and antisemitic.
yet here we see our govt. at the highest level conducting hearings about a frum jew being held in ANOTHER country. these congressmen want to ensure that a frum jewish american citizen isnt being subjected to unjust detention and/or harsh conditions.
if there were any ortho rabbis who were still interested in issuing halachic rulings based on existing realities and facts, and taking current conditions into account -as taught in the talmud- these hearings would be powerful evidence. they would be evidence that no allowance for mesirah exists in america as it has shown itself to be fair and just even in its treatment of frum jews.
a ruling by "gedolim" to the effect that 'mesirah' doesnt apply here would have strong implications. those that prey on our young could no longer assume their victims and families will be pressured into silence.
many hundreds or thousands of kids would likely be spared from being future victims of innocence-robbing and life-altering sexual abuse, molestation and rape.
and if mesirah is inapplicable in a given country at a given time, then theres no need to require an offender to rise to the level of 'rodef', or threat to the community, in order to permit contacting law enforcement. jews could go straight to the police when they suspect someone of child abuse. the 'gedolim' would no longer require a rabbinical decision as to whether there are 'raglayim l'davar' (legs to stand on) for the charges.
but there are no 'gedolim'. instead only 'ketonim' who forego the teachings of the talmud they claim to uphold while placing our kids in unnecessary danger.
open your eyes rabbis and start using your heads for something other than a hat rack.

[dh]

Hi ah-pee. I thought an element of mesirah was that non-Jewish systems wouldn't be fair to Jews. Non-Jewish isn't the same as secular.

I also wanted to know when mesirah became mesirah.

I went to Awfulpedia and the first thing I saw was a Michael Broyde citation, so I'm coming back to you. Can you explain with little words?