A federal judge in Vermont ordered the release Wednesday of Mohsen Mahdawi, the Columbia University student who was arrested two weeks ago by ICE agents following his citizenship interview, while his case proceeds.
“The two weeks of detention so far demonstrate great harm to a person who has been charged with no crime,” U.S. District Judge Geoffrey Crawford said at a hearing Wednesday. “Mr. Mahdawi, I will order you released.”
“Judge Crawford, who ruled to release me against all of the heinous accusations, horrible attacks, chills of speech, First Amendment violations – he had made a very brave decision to let me out,” Mahdawi said. “And this is what justice is. And for anybody who’s doubting justice, this is a light of hope, a hope and faith in the justice system in America.”
“To President Trump and his cabinet: I am not afraid of you,” Mahdawi said.
That’s what a real American is supposed to sound like. Give him his citizenship we need more people who appreciate having basic rights
Turns out it’s easy to appreciate having basic rights when they come from places where those basic rights don’t exist.
He’s lucky the judge blocked ICE from moving him out of Vermont in the first place. Others like Khalil and Ozturk have no chance in Louisiana with MAGA judges unfortunately.
He’s lucky they listened to the judge.
That guy getting disappeared.
Kinda hard to disappear someone who has been prominently in the news. That’s actually the best way to avoid getting disappeared. Make a lot of noise so everyone knows who yiu are and it makes it hard to make you go away without people asking a lot of questions. And they guy didn’t do anything wrong, so disappearing him might have consequences.
My first thought reading your comment is of the award winning director of No Other Land who got attacked and detained after having already received his Oscar… Then there’s photo journalist Fatma Hassona who was the subject of the documentary Put Your Soul on Your Hand and Walk who got killed in a bombing alongside her whole family.
We are unfortunately learning that becoming famous doesn’t necessarily protect people…
I dont think the Palestinian situation is apples to apples here. Israel is far more hostile to dissent on Palestine than the U.S. is. Doesn’t mean it will stay that way, but we have a ways to go before we start violently suppressing Israeli dissent with car bombs.
We’re far more likely to start suppressing things violently concerning our own government.
Israel acts with a lot more impunity than the US can in this stage of the fascist takeover.
Kinda hard to disappear someone who has been prominently in the news.
“Hold my beer.”
