LONDON: British pro-Palestinian political commentator Sami Hamdi landed back in London on Thursday after being released from the United States, where he spent more than two weeks in immigration detention.
Hamdi was detained on October 26 at San Francisco International Airport after US officials revoked his visa during a speaking tour in which he criticised Israel’s actions in Gaza.
“It’s wonderful to be back after being exonerated by two federal judges, both of whom found that there were serious breaches of freedom of speech,” Hamdi told reporters after landing at London’s Heathrow Airport, where he was embraced by his family.
He said the only allegation against him was overstaying his visa after it was revoked without warning. He insisted he had complied with all visa conditions and said the move was linked to his advocacy for Gaza.
“I want to say that this wasn’t just an attack on me. It was an attack on the freedoms of ordinary Americans and citizens worldwide. It was an attack on their freedom to speak the truth in the face of hatred,” he said. US Immigration and Customs Enforcement said Hamdi’s visa was cancelled under security rules and that he was in the country illegally. Rights groups and press freedom advocates condemned the detention, calling it an attack on free speech.
Hamdi, managing director of The International Interest, a political risk consultancy, and a frequent analyst on British television, had spoken at a gala for the Council on American-Islamic Relations in California and was scheduled to appear at another event in Florida before his arrest.
The Trump administration has pursued an immigration crackdown this year, including revoking visas for people accused of supporting terrorism and deporting foreign nationals who have voiced support for Palestinians.
