Indian student at Georgetown University arrested over wife's Palestinian background
Indian citizen and Georgetown University student Badar Khan Suri has been arrested by US Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents due to his criticism of Israel’s actions in Gaza.
Sari is a post-doctorate fellow in peace and conflict studies at Georgetown University in Washington. On Thursday, he was later taken to a detention facility in Louisiana, according to a government website.
Hassan Ahmad, Suri’s Virginia-based attorney, wrote in a court filing that Suri was targeted because of his wife’s “identity as a Palestinian and her constitutionally protected speech.”
Suri and his wife, Mapheze Saleh, “have long been doxxed and smeared,” the court filing stated.
Pro-Israel groups have published Saleh’s photograph online along with information that includes her former employment with Al Jazeera and her birthplace in Gaza City “as support for her alleged ties with Hamas.”
ICE has detained Sari even though he is a US permanent resident.
After his arrest, the dean of Georgetown University made a statement that Sari had not engaged in any illegal activities or posed a threat to campus security.
In a statement, the University Board of Georgetown Law SJP has called his arrest to be for expressing “constitutionally protected speech,” warning that if such arrests continue “higher education will crumble.”
Sari was specifically targeted because of the anti-genocide activism of his wife Mapheze Saleh.
Saleh, a US citizen, is a prominent pro-Palestine activist who has come under attack by pro-Israel political organizations.
Jenin Younes, a lawyer and civil liberties expert, believes that Sari’s arrest is a case of citizens being held guilty by association.
“If they can’t target a Palestinian activist for deportation because they’re a citizen, they’ll target their spouse instead,” Younes said in an interview.
Imprisoning and punishing family members of political dissidents is a common repression tactic used by dictatorial regimes.
Iran, UAE voice alarm at fatal Israeli, American aggression against Gaza, Yemen
'People suffer from lack of food, water'
Israeli army plans to demolish 66 homes in Jenin refugee camp
Iran, UAE voice alarm at fatal Israeli, American aggression against Gaza, Yemen
Hamas denies quitting Gaza ceasefire talks
VIDEO | 'People suffer from lack of food, water'
VIDEO | Israeli army plans to demolish 66 homes in Jenin refugee camp
Israel threatens to ‘annex’ parts of Gaza amid resumption of Tel Aviv’s genocidal war
IRGC commander hails Yemen’s ‘unparalleled’ support for Palestinians
Google imports ex-Israeli spies who automated Gaza genocide
France opposes annexation of Gaza, West Bank: French FM
PressTV NEWSLETTER
now
This makes it easy to access the Press TV website
