"I am profoundly grateful to my family, my legal team and every individual in the global community who prayed, protested and refused to be silent, Hamdi said in a statement Wednesday evening. Let the record show: I broke no law and posed no threat. My only offense' was speaking the unvarnished truth about the genocide in Gaza. I am departing now, voluntarily, to reunite with my loved ones,"
"not because the U.S. government ever established a credible case against me, Hamdi said. This detention was a stark demonstration that a Muslim journalist can be held captive because extremists, amplified on social media, seek to weaponize state policy against inconvenient speech. This is not merely an injustice against me, but a searing indictment of any nation that claims to uphold free speech, a free press and the right to due process."
Sami Hamdi, a British journalist, was detained at San Francisco International Airport on Oct. 26 while visiting the United States for a speaking tour and spent roughly half a month in ICE custody. A federal spokesperson accused him without evidence of supporting terrorism and undermining U.S. national security, and the Department of Homeland Security revoked his visitor visa. Hamdi agreed to voluntarily leave the United States under an agreement reported by CAIR-CA; no criminal charges were filed and the agreement states he is not considered a danger to the community or national security. Legal representation included CAIR-CA, Hassan M. Ahmad of HMA Law Firm, and the Muslim Legal Fund.
Read at www.mercurynews.com
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