In a recent court statement, Rumeysa Öztürk, a 30-year-old Turkish doctoral student at Tufts University, recounted her traumatic experience following her arrest by immigration authorities on March 25. She detailed how she was approached by a man claiming to be a police officer, taken against her will, bound, and driven for hours, fearing for her life. Öztürk, who had been fasting for Ramadan, was initially confused about the charges against her, as she had been targeted on an anti-Israel website by an incident termed “doxxing.”
During her transport, she was denied access to her attorney, which her lawyer argues violates her rights, as she was informed she would have been allowed to communicate post-transport if not for security concerns. Öztürk described being held in poor conditions; spending nights on hard benches and suffering from asthma attacks without proper medication. She was moved through several facilities, including an unwelcoming environment in Louisiana, where detainees faced threats, poor sanitation, and inadequate healthcare.
Despite her ordeal and food deprivation, Öztürk managed to work on her academic projects during her detention and expressed a strong desire to return to her studies at Tufts. She remains in custody while fighting the cancellation of her visa but has not been charged with any crime. She hopes to reclaim her life and academic commitments soon.
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