PNN – The family of Mahmoud Khalil, a pro-Palestinian student activist at Columbia University in the United States, called for his immediate release in a statement.
According to the report of Pakistan News Network from Al Jazeera, the statement from Mahmoud Khalil’s family states: It is very shameful that the authorities arrested Khalil for protesting the killing of his people and defending their rights.
The defense group for Mahmoud Khalil, a student and pro-Palestinian activist at Columbia University in the United States, also announced in a statement: Our client has been arrested for opposing the developments in Gaza and criticizing the US and Israeli governments.
The statement added: What happened to Khalil is reprehensible and ugly for anyone who believes in free speech in America.
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White House defends arrest of pro-Palestinian student Mahmoud Khalil at Columbia University
The statement continued: The authorities transferred Khalil to Louisiana, which is a retaliatory measure to deny him access to his lawyers and to deny him his legal rights.
The statement concludes: Our client believes in the rights of the Palestinians and the need to prevent genocide against them, and is not considered a threat to US national security.
Mahmoud Khalil, who helped lead a student protest movement at Columbia University to establish a ceasefire in Gaza, was arrested Saturday night by federal immigration officials who said they were taking action to revoke his green card, as ordered by the State Department.
White House spokeswoman Caroline Leavitt criticized Mahmoud Khalil during the briefing, claiming that he had distributed pro-Hamas propaganda leaflets at student protests at Columbia University, where he completed his master’s degree in December.
He also pointed to more arrests for people participating in anti-war protests, telling reporters: We are going to have more arrests, as the president has said.