Whatever you think of Israel or Palestine, the ability to freely express political opinions is the bedrock of our U.S. Constitution. But, as the video above shows, Rümeysa Öztürk, a Turkish national studying at Tufts University and in the U.S. legally, was arrested with Gestapo-like tactics. She was then hustled out of Massachusetts and eventually detained in Louisiana after she dared to criticize Israel.
Fortunately, a federal judge has recognized just how dangerously wrong the Trump administration is, at least in this case. Judge William Sessions had previously ordered Öztürk to be returned to a Vermont facility. But on Friday, he decided not to wait for her physical transportation before ordering her release on bail.
Judge Sessions said the Trump administration’s behavior raised “very significant due process concerns,” The Guardian reported, and that Öztürk's detention “potentially chills the speech of the millions and millions of individuals in this country who are not citizens.” He also found “absolutely no evidence that that [sic] she has engaged in violence or advocated violence. She has no criminal record … [and] she does not pose a danger to the community.”
The conditions of Öztürk’s custody were just as shockingly awful. It’s not clear they had anything to do with the judge’s decision, but they couldn’t have helped the Trump administration’s case.
More from The Guardian:
According to court filings, Öztürk has suffered multiple asthma attacks in detention that she has struggled to get treated for, and has had her hijab forcibly removed.
Speaking to the judge on Friday, Öztürk said she has suffered 12 asthma attacks since her detention, saying: “Now they are between five to 45 minutes and they are more intense … longer and harder to stop.”
“We are not allowed to take fresh air when we need to take it ... Also there is no divider between the showers,” Öztürk said.“Also the maximum capacity for the room is indicated … for 14 people but there are 24 people living in a small area, spanning … more than 22 hours inside of the same locked cell,” she added.
Following Öztürk’s initial testimony, her doctor, Jessica McCannon, testified about her diagnosis of Öztürk’s asthma. At one point, Öztürk had an asthma attack during McCannon’s testimony, which her lawyers had to interrupt. The judge then excused Öztürk and allowed her to temporarily step out of the room to use the bathroom.
Öztürk has been released!
