USA: NUJ calls for release of journalist detained by ICE
The NUJ has joined the International Federation of Journalists (IFJ) in calling for the immediate release of UK journalist and political commentator Sami Hamdi.
US Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) authorities detained Hamdi at San Francisco International Airport on 26 October. A spokesperson for the US Department of Homeland Security stated that Hamdi’s visa had been revoked and that the journalist was being held in ICE custody pending deportation.
A critic of the Israeli government, Hamdi was in the middle of a US speaking tour and had participated in a gala for the Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR), a US-based Muslim civil rights group. The US Department of State said that “the United States has no obligation to host foreigners who support terrorism and actively undermine the safety of Americans.”
The NUJ joins the IFJ in expressing deep concern over the apparent abuse of anti-terror legislation and obstruction of freedom of expression by US authorities.
Séamus Dooley, NUJ assistant general secretary, said:
"We share the concerns expressed by the IFJ at the arrest and detention of Sami Hamdi. The circumstances surrounding his detention give cause for serious concern. There is no evidence that, as a journalist, he is guilty of a terrorist offence, and he should be released."
Anthony Bellanger, IFJ general secretary, said:
"The arrest of Sami Hamdi constitutes a serious violation of his fundamental rights and poses a grave threat to freedom of expression and democratic principles. We are deeply concerned by the apparent misuse of anti-terror legislation, which risks setting a dangerous precedent for journalists and citizens engaging in public debate and exercising their right to free speech.”