‘Sisters of Mercy’: The Story of Rana Koleilat and Joumana Ayyas

On March 15, 2006, Rana Koleilat was found bleeding in her Sao Paolo prison cell. Brazilian police claimed, however, that she was not seriously injured, and was only trying to attract attention to her plight. Meanwhile, Joumana Ayyas, Rana s alleged partner in crime, was still quietly incarcerated in Lebanon. The Lebanese Government had asked Brazil to extradite Koleilat on charges of fraud, embezzlement and forgery. Koleilat and her alleged partner in crime, Ayyas, are accused of mail fraud, wire fraud, bank fraud, obstruction of justice, and extortionate extensions of credit