 The 2004 Country Reports on Human Rights Practices reported that human rights non-governmental organizations stated that Salah had been "unfairly denied bail despite his status and community ties".Jonathan Cook, writing in "Al-Ahram Weekly", stated that while Salah and four other party leaders stood trial on serious charges of aiding and abetting a terror organization, the Israeli police said the accusations revolved primarily around money laundering, and that for eighteen months prior to his arrest in 2003, Salah was barred from leaving Israel.According to Cook, the newspaper produced by the northern branch of the Islamic Movement was shut down, and charities he had founded were closed, and since the election of Ariel Sharon, the Shin Bet had been monitoring and taping phone calls made by Salah and his officials, and intercepting e-mails as well.