US govt targeting pro-Palestine activists under its secret watchlist: CAIR
The US government uses a secret and illegal list against Americans as federal agents object to lawful exercise of constitutional rights, says legal director of CAIR.
The lawsuit seeks to have the watchlist declared illegal and to prevent the government from using it to target individuals based on their political beliefs. / Photo: AA Archive
The Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR) has filed a lawsuit against the United States federal government, alleging the creation and use of a secret watchlist targeting supporters of Palestinian activism.
The lawsuit, filed by CAIR's Legal Defense Fund and its Greater Los Angeles area office, challenges the constitutionality of the alleged watchlist and accuses the government of violating the rights of two Palestinian-American plaintiffs.
"The lawsuit alleges that the Government has violated the Constitution by placing the two plaintiffs on secret watchlists for their protected and lawful speech and activity in favour of Palestine," Amr Shabaik, CAIR's legal director told Anadolu news agency.
One plaintiff, Osama Abu Irshaid, was allegedly re-added to the watch list due to his activism against Israel's military actions in Gaza, according to Shabaik.
The other, Mustafa Zeidan, was placed on the No Fly List after organising weekly protests calling for an end to Israel's attacks in Gaza, he added.
CAIR also alleges unlawful search and seizure of one plaintiff's phone at the border.
The Muslim rights group reported receiving numerous complaints from Americans who claim to have been questioned and harassed by federal law enforcement officials for their pro-Palestinian activism since Oct. 7, 2023.
CAIR just sued the federal government for harassing Palestinian-American leaders who dare to speak up for Palestinian human rights and oppose the genocide Gaza.
— CAIR National (@CAIRNational) August 27, 2024
Our lawsuit challenges the abuses of the FBI's Orwellian "terror watchlist," which has unjustly targeted… pic.twitter.com/tzlM9ldzhH
FBI’s secret watchlist
In 2019, amid claims of monitoring and surveillance of Muslims in the US post-9/11, a Swiss hacker accessed the lists in question and made them public in January 2023.
It was reported that the file purportedly produced by the Federal Bureau of Investigation included personal information and sensitive data about millions of American Muslims, which led to individuals being questioned by law enforcement or private security personnel in their daily lives or at public venues, particularly at airports.
The US government has not yet responded to the allegations.
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