Justice minister hails release of detained Turkish student in US

ANKARA

This photo provided by the Ozturk legal team shows Rumeysa Ozturk, center, with Nora Ahmed of ACLU Louisiana and Mahsa Khanbabai of Khanbabai Law on Friday, May 9, 2025, in Basile, La., shortly after her release from an immigration detention center.

 A federal judge in Vermont has ordered the release on bail of Rümeysa Öztürk, a Turkish PhD student detained in the United States for co-authoring an op-ed on the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, in a move Türkiye’s Justice Minister Yılmaz Tunç called a “positive development that relieves the public conscience.”

Öztürk, a doctoral student at Tufts University in Massachusetts, was arrested on March 25 by Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents for her article published last year in the university’s student newspaper. The decision by Judge William K. Sessions III came on Friday, following a hearing in Burlington, Vermont, where Öztürk appeared remotely.

“The court finds no evidence that Ms. Öztürk poses a danger to the community or a risk of flight,” Judge Sessions said.

“The government is ordered to release her from custody immediately.”

The judge emphasized that Öztürk is free to return to her home in Massachusetts and travel between Massachusetts and Vermont without restrictions, citing her low risk of fleeing.

Tunç welcomed the ruling, stating, “The fact that our sister Rümeysa will regain her freedom is extremely important for fundamental human rights and freedom of expression.”

He criticized the detention as an example of “unacceptable” practices, including discrimination, Islamophobia, and double standards, particularly for prosecuting Öztürk over her faith and support for Palestine.

The case gained attention after the Second Circuit Court of Appeals ordered Öztürk’s transfer earlier this week from an immigration jail in Louisiana to a federal district court in Vermont. The Justice Ministry actively supported Öztürk, with staff closely monitoring the legal process and providing diplomatic assistance, Tunç noted.