Student in the US was arrested on the occasion of an article in favor of Palestine

Rumeysa Ozturk, a student from Turkey, « ambushed » late Tuesday outside her apartment, according to a statement by her lawyer to the Boston Globe newspaper.

Neighbors had seen agents with cars without discreetly monitoring her apartment for two days before arrest, the report said.

Her arrest comes after the pro-Israeli group Canary Mission noted that Ozturk « participated in anti-Israeli activism in March 2024 ».

The March 2024 article

This activism, according to the group, consisted solely of the co-authorship of an article in the newspaper The Tufts Daily, A student newspaper, in which she and three other postgraduate students called on the school to « recognize the Palestinian genocide » and to be removed from companies that have ties with Israel, as the resolutions approved by the student.

« On March 4, the Senate of the Tufts Community Union approved 3 of the 4 resolutions that required the University to recognize the Palestinian genocide, to apologize for the statements by President of the Sunil Kumar University, to publicize its investment and investment. These resolutions were a product of meaningful discussion by the Senate and represent a sincere attempt to account for Israel for clear violations of international law. Reliable accusations against Israel include testimonies of deliberate hunger and inquisitive slaughter of Palestinian civilians and plausible genocide, « students wrote in the article, published on March 26, 2024.

Tufts University President Sunil Kumar acknowledged Ozturk’s arrest in a statement on Tuesday night, which only identified her as an « international postgraduate student ».

Abolition of student visa

« From what we were told later, the student’s visa has ended and we seek to confirm if this information is true, » Kumar said.

Mahsa Khanbabai, Ozturk’s lawyer, said her client has a valid F-1 student visa and « went to meet with her friends » when she was arrested by DHS agents (Ministry of Interior) outside her home.

« We do not know where it is and we could not contact her. There have been no charges against her as far as we know, « Khanbabai said in a statement.

A sign is located at the entrance of a student protest camp in Tufts in April 2024. Jessica Rinaldi/Boston Globe

What do government representatives say

In a statement to Salon, A Trump government spokesman argued, without providing evidence, that « Ice’s investigations have found that Ozturk was involved in Hamas support activities. »

The spokesman did not indicate that he had committed a crime and confirmed that he was allowed to be in the US as a foreign student, but said « visa is a privilege and not a right ».

« The praise and support of terrorists who kill Americans is a reason to end the visa, » the spokesman said.

« This is the safety of common sense. »

War against the Philopylaistine movement

Ozturk is the last foreign student to target Trump’s government for critical speech against Israel.

Mahmud Khalil, a permanent resident and student at Columbia University, was arrested earlier this month and was accused, without any evidence, of being a supporter of Hamas. Another permanent resident and student at Columbia University, Yunseo Chung, has also been targeted for possible removal, according to her lawyers, though she has not yet been arrested.

Badar Khan Suri, a student at Georgetown University, was also arrested earlier this month and was accused without evidence of supporting Hamas. A judge has at least temporarily blocked his deportation.

Ozturk’s arrest caused calls for protest, with activists releasing a brochure calling at an « emergency rally » on Wednesday night at Powder House Square Park in Someville.

Her arrest comes as Israel has renewed its military attack on the Gaza Strip, killing hundreds of civilians in air raids last week and promising the « complete destruction and desolation » of the area if Hamas does not deliver the rest of the Israeli.