12.04.2025 01:00
In the United States, Turkish student Rümeysa Öztürk, who was detained on the grounds of supporting Palestine, recounted her experiences during and after her detention in court. Öztürk stated that she thought she would be kidnapped and killed by plainclothes individuals who stopped her.
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Turkish student Rümeysa Öztürk, who was detained in the USA, expressed that she thought she would be kidnapped and killed by people in civilian clothes who blocked her way.
Rümeysa Öztürk, a Turkish PhD student at Tufts University in the USA, was detained on March 25 for allegedly supporting Palestine.
Öztürk shared her "terrifying" experiences during and after her detention in a 7-page petition submitted to the Vermont Federal District Court.
"I THOUGHT I WOULD BE KILLED"
Öztürk, who was detained by six masked officers from the Immigration and Customs Enforcement Agency while on her way to iftar near her home in Massachusetts, stated that she thought she was being "kidnapped and would be killed" while being taken to an unknown location by car.
Öztürk said, "I wanted a female police officer to be with us, but they said there were none around. They were all in civilian clothes. I thought this was a strange situation and I was sure they would kill me."
"I DIDN'T REALIZE THEY WERE POLICE"
The Turkish PhD student stated that she "did not think they were police" because she had never seen police approach and take someone in that manner.
Öztürk wrote in her petition that when they stopped at a place that looked like a police station in New Hampshire, she thought she was being detained by US law enforcement for the first time.
"I WAS NOT ALLOWED TO MEET WITH MY LAWYER"
Tufts University student Öztürk stated in her petition submitted to the court that she was not allowed to meet with her lawyer immediately after her detention, but was told that it might be possible when they reached Vermont.
Öztürk said, "I wanted to meet with a lawyer again in Vermont, but despite them stating that I could call my lawyer from Vermont, they told me I could not do that."
"THEY ASKED IF I WAS A MEMBER OF A TERRORIST ORGANIZATION"
Öztürk, who stated that she spent the night in Vermont in a cell with "a hard bench without a bed," said, "They came to my cell several times during the night and asked me if I wanted to apply for asylum and if I was a member of a terrorist organization."
SUFFERED ASTHMA CRISIS 4 TIMES
Rümeysa Öztürk, who was taken from Massachusetts, where she studied and resided as a Fulbright scholar, to Louisiana, thousands of kilometers away, reported that she suffered from asthma crises four times at the facility there but could not access adequate medical support.
Pointing out the rudeness in the behavior of the people there, Öztürk expressed that she did not feel safe. Öztürk noted:
"I still have not been given a prayer rug or a Quran. I also wanted to meet with a Muslim religious official. I made these requests more than two weeks ago. I also asked for light long-sleeved clothing due to the weather, but I could not get any. I pray every day to be able to return to my home in Somerville (Massachusetts) and to the community I live in."
REQUESTED BAIL
Öztürk, who also stated in her petition that she wants to complete her doctorate, which she has been working on for the last 5 years, requested bail for this purpose.
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