Judge Geoffrey W. Crawford ordered the release of Mohsen Mahdawi from prison today. Mahdawi has been released on bail despite the government’s request for Judge Crawford to pause his release, which was pending appeal.
Mohsen Mahdawi, a long-time pro-Palestinian activist, was arrested at a citizenship interview in Vermont. The secretary of state, Marco Rubio, said in a memo justifying Mr. Mahdawi’s arrest that his activism “could undermine the Middle East peace process by reinforcing antisemitic sentiment,” the New York Times reported.
Mahdawi grew up in a Palestinian refugee camp in the West Bank and witnessed violence, including seeing his best friend killed by an Israeli soldier. Since then, Mahdawi has delivered more than 100 lectures at churches, synagogues, and colleges, stressing that empathy is the key to a resolution in the Middle East.
Judge Crawford found that Mahdawi did not pose a danger to the public and was not a flight risk. Marco Rubio argued that immigration authorities have the right to eject even legal residents from the country if they engage in protest activities that the government says harm America’s foreign policy interests, the New York Times reported.
Walking outside of the courthouse in Burlington, Vt., Mahdawi approached television reporters with his hands raised in a peace sign.
“They arrested me. What’s the reason? Because I raised my voice, and I said no to war, yes to peace,” Mahdawi said. “Because I said, ‘Enough is enough. Killing more than 50,000 Palestinians is more than enough.’ ”
After his release today, Mahdawi gave a statement to the Trump administration.
“I am saying it clear and loud to President Trump and his cabinet: I am not afraid of you,” Mahdawi said.
