UN Office slams arrest of Turkish student in US, calls it arbitrary

The United Nations Human Rights Office has condemned the arrest of the Turkish student Rumeysa Ozturk in the United States, calling it an arbitrary action that violates international human rights laws.

Liz Throssell, a spokesperson for the U.N. Human Rights Office, expressed concern over the detention of Ozturk, a doctoral student at Tufts University, by the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) officers.

“Detaining someone for actions related to their protected human rights and freedoms under international humanitarian law is arbitrary,” Throssell stated in a written response to a query from an Anadolu Agency (AA) reporter.

Throssell highlighted that under international human rights law, everyone, regardless of nationality, is entitled to certain freedoms, such as the right to free expression and peaceful assembly, without fear of retaliation.

“The International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights (ICCPR), to which the United States is a party, protects the rights of all individuals, including non-citizens, from arbitrary detention or expulsion and guarantees freedom of expression and peaceful assembly,” she added.

Rumeysa Ozturk’s detention in US

Ozturk was detained by ICE agents on the evening of March 25 as she was leaving her home in Massachusetts to attend an iftar gathering.

Her attorney, Mahsa Khanbabai, reported that they had lost contact with Ozturk after her detention. Tufts University also confirmed in a statement that the university had not been informed of her arrest.

U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio had earlier confirmed that Ozturk’s visa had been revoked, citing her alleged support for Hamas, along with at least 300 other foreign students whose visas were canceled for similar reasons.

Rubio stated: “We gave you a visa not to be a social activist on our university campuses but to come here for education and to earn a degree.”

Lastly, a Massachusetts federal judge on Friday blocked the deportation of Turkish-born Tufts University doctoral student Ozturk, pending a ruling on her habeas corpus petition.