London: The father of British-Tunisian journalist Sami Hamdi, detained by US immigration authorities, has made an urgent appeal to California Governor Gavin Newsom and senior British officials to help save his son’s life. He said Hamdi is in severe pain and in “serious danger” while in detention.
Mohamed Elhachmi Hamdi shared on social media that his son called his wife from detention complaining of sharp pain on his left side. He urged UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer and Foreign Secretary Yvette Cooper to intervene, calling the situation “a gross injustice” and a test for freedom of speech.
Hamdi was detained on October 26 at San Francisco International Airport after addressing a Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR) event in Sacramento, where he criticised US and Israeli policies in Gaza. His visa was revoked the same day, and he was placed in US Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) custody.
The Department of Homeland Security claimed Hamdi posed a national security threat, a charge dismissed by rights groups as politically motivated. A federal court in California has temporarily blocked ICE from transferring him out of the state, citing “serious questions” about violations of his First Amendment rights.
CAIR welcomed the court’s decision as “an important first step” toward protecting free speech. Hamdi’s immigration hearing is scheduled for November 10.
Elhachmi described his son as a journalist committed to dialogue, human dignity, and peaceful coexistence. He said the treatment of Hamdi reflects a double standard in how Muslim voices are handled when they challenge state narratives on Palestine.
