Published : 01-01-1970
Action Group | United States
The campaign calling for the immediate release of Palestinian activist Mahmoud Khalil has surpassed 900,000 signatures, with efforts continuing to reach the target of 1,638,400 signatures. The campaign comes amid escalating controversy over the arrest of Khalil, a Palestinian-Syrian student and activist, who was arrested by the US Homeland Security Service for his prominent role in leading student protests at Columbia University against the war on Gaza.
Background to the arrest and charges
Mahmoud Khalil, a native of the Khan al-Shih Palestinian refugee camp in Syria, is a computer engineer and a graduate of the Department of Political Science at Columbia University, and currently serves as a diplomatic officer in the Palestinian delegation to the United Nations. Khalil holds permanent residency in the United States in addition to Algerian citizenship, making him one of the targets of the recent US State Department decisions to cancel student visas and permanent residency for those deemed to support the Palestinian cause. Khalil's arrest has sparked widespread reactions, with human rights sources indicating that the arrest may be part of a broader campaign aimed at silencing the voices of Palestinian students and supporters of the Palestinian cause in the United States. Human rights activists have expressed concerns that these measures may be part of a broader policy aimed at restricting freedom of expression and peaceful assembly.
Statements by the US President
In a related context, US President Donald Trump stated that Khalil's arrest came in the wake of the executive orders he signed, targeting what he described as 'extremist foreign students who support Hamas.' Trump added that many students at Columbia University and other universities have engaged in pro-terrorist and anti-Semitic activities, stressing that some of these are not real students but paid instigators. Trump stressed that the United States will take strict measures against sympathizers of terrorism, including their permanent deportation, noting that the presence of those who support terrorism in the country is contrary to US national interests. Trump also called on all American colleges and universities to comply with the government's policies on combating anti-Semitism and support for terrorism.
Reactions and protests
On the other hand, Columbia University witnessed a wave of widespread protests by students and academics, denouncing the Israeli military escalation in Gaza. Protesters organized peaceful events that included sit-ins and marches on campus, where they demanded the immediate release of Khalil and the guarantee of his legal rights. Human rights organizations fear that Khalil’s arrest could be the beginning of a broader wave of repression targeting activists and students who express anti-war or pro-Palestinian views, and have called for an investigation into the conditions of his detention and ensuring that he receives a fair trial. As the campaign continues to collect signatures, pressure is mounting on the US authorities to release Mahmoud Khalil, and the organizers of the campaign hope that popular and international momentum will lead to their goal of releasing the Palestinian activist, who has become a symbol of the struggle for freedom of expression and human rights in the United States. For now, Mahmoud Khalil’s fate remains unclear, while protests and demands for his release continue, amid an atmosphere of political and human rights tension in the United States.
Action Group | United States
The campaign calling for the immediate release of Palestinian activist Mahmoud Khalil has surpassed 900,000 signatures, with efforts continuing to reach the target of 1,638,400 signatures. The campaign comes amid escalating controversy over the arrest of Khalil, a Palestinian-Syrian student and activist, who was arrested by the US Homeland Security Service for his prominent role in leading student protests at Columbia University against the war on Gaza.
Background to the arrest and charges
Mahmoud Khalil, a native of the Khan al-Shih Palestinian refugee camp in Syria, is a computer engineer and a graduate of the Department of Political Science at Columbia University, and currently serves as a diplomatic officer in the Palestinian delegation to the United Nations. Khalil holds permanent residency in the United States in addition to Algerian citizenship, making him one of the targets of the recent US State Department decisions to cancel student visas and permanent residency for those deemed to support the Palestinian cause. Khalil's arrest has sparked widespread reactions, with human rights sources indicating that the arrest may be part of a broader campaign aimed at silencing the voices of Palestinian students and supporters of the Palestinian cause in the United States. Human rights activists have expressed concerns that these measures may be part of a broader policy aimed at restricting freedom of expression and peaceful assembly.
Statements by the US President
In a related context, US President Donald Trump stated that Khalil's arrest came in the wake of the executive orders he signed, targeting what he described as 'extremist foreign students who support Hamas.' Trump added that many students at Columbia University and other universities have engaged in pro-terrorist and anti-Semitic activities, stressing that some of these are not real students but paid instigators. Trump stressed that the United States will take strict measures against sympathizers of terrorism, including their permanent deportation, noting that the presence of those who support terrorism in the country is contrary to US national interests. Trump also called on all American colleges and universities to comply with the government's policies on combating anti-Semitism and support for terrorism.
Reactions and protests
On the other hand, Columbia University witnessed a wave of widespread protests by students and academics, denouncing the Israeli military escalation in Gaza. Protesters organized peaceful events that included sit-ins and marches on campus, where they demanded the immediate release of Khalil and the guarantee of his legal rights. Human rights organizations fear that Khalil’s arrest could be the beginning of a broader wave of repression targeting activists and students who express anti-war or pro-Palestinian views, and have called for an investigation into the conditions of his detention and ensuring that he receives a fair trial. As the campaign continues to collect signatures, pressure is mounting on the US authorities to release Mahmoud Khalil, and the organizers of the campaign hope that popular and international momentum will lead to their goal of releasing the Palestinian activist, who has become a symbol of the struggle for freedom of expression and human rights in the United States. For now, Mahmoud Khalil’s fate remains unclear, while protests and demands for his release continue, amid an atmosphere of political and human rights tension in the United States.
