SOAS University ‘concerned’ by reports of Sami Hamdi’s detention in the US

SOAS University, of which Hamdi is an alumnus, impulse ‘US authorities to guarantee afloat transparency and owed process’ successful his case.

The London assemblage wherever British governmental commentator and writer Sami Hamdi completed his studies has called for “full transparency and owed process” regarding his detention successful the United States.

In a connection published connected Wednesday, SOAS University of London said it was “deeply concerned” by reports of Hamdi’s detention, adding that “there is nary denotation that Mr Hamdi has violated immoderate laws”.

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“We impulse the US authorities to guarantee afloat transparency and owed process successful Mr Hamdi’s case, and to uphold his cardinal close to state of look and movement.”

Hamdi, 35, was stopped astatine San Francisco planetary airport successful California connected October 26 and detained by agents from the Department of Homeland Security’s Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agency.

The Council connected American-Islamic Relations (CAIR) condemned Hamdi’s detention arsenic “a blatant affront to escaped speech”, attributing his apprehension to his disapproval of Israel’s genocidal warfare connected Gaza, which has killed astatine slightest 68,875 Palestinians and wounded 170,679 since October 2023.

Sami Hamdi’s woman Soumaya told Al Jazeera that the US authorities has inactive not provided immoderate grounds ‘as to wherefore they consciousness the request to revoke his visa’ [Screen grab/ Al Jazeera]

Hamdi, who was completing a speaking circuit successful the US discussing Israel’s warfare connected Gaza, had addressed a CAIR gala successful Sacramento, California, the erstwhile evening and was owed to talk astatine different CAIR lawsuit successful Florida.

He was unaware astatine the clip that his visa had been revoked by US authorities 2 days earlier his detention.

Hamdi’s detention has led to a ineligible battle, with his lawyers filing exigency petitions against his detention, and his woman Soumaya and civilian nine groups demanding that the United Kingdom authorities instrumentality action.

Soumaya told Al Jazeera that the US authorities has inactive not provided immoderate grounds “as to wherefore they consciousness the request to revoke his visa. And truthful they are treating him arsenic an overstayer”.

She said the incidental raises an important question: “Has the United States go a state present wherever a British national travelling connected a valid visa tin beryllium detained astatine will? Because that is truly scary.”

Soumaya said she believed her hubby had been targeted by the US authorities due to the fact that “he’s go highly effectual astatine galvanising enactment for Palestinian rights. Sami has been capable to bring radical unneurotic crossed the governmental spectrum, not conscionable wrong Muslim communities.”

She besides said her husband’s apprehension should beryllium of interest to “everybody who values the close to state of speech, everybody who values the close to person facts from journalists and for journalists to beryllium capable to study connected quality without being persecuted”.

“If they [US authorities] are capable past to dainty Sami successful this way, it’s lone a substance of clip earlier they commencement to dainty US citizens similar that too.”

“The US authorities indispensable merchandise Sami immediately. They’ve made a large mistake, and they request to merchandise him immediately. And Congress indispensable analyse these ICE detentions due to the fact that they are mounting a unsafe precedent for the aboriginal quality of US citizens being capable to workout their close to the First Amendment properly. And that’s atrocious quality for everybody,” she said.