A petition has been launched calling for the release of Yousof Azizi, an Iranian researcher, journalist and political analyst, who has reportedly been detained by US Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) despite holding valid legal status.

According to a website set up by his supporters, Azizi, a PhD candidate at Virginia Tech, was taken into custody outside his home in Maryland on 13 April and denied access to a lawyer, News.Az reports, citing Iran’s English-language Press TV.

Press TV said it was the first outlet to report the arrest, adding that Azizi is a father of two and an active member of the Iranian community in the United States who has publicly spoken against what it described as the “unprovoked and illegal” US-Israeli war against Iran.

The broadcaster described Azizi as a media commentator who has appeared on several international English- and Persian-language outlets, including Press TV, and said he has been among the few voices in Persian media to openly oppose what it called the influence of the Israeli lobby on US foreign policy.

It added that Azizi has consistently criticised what it described as US military actions against Iran and Israel’s war against Palestinians in Gaza, the West Bank and Lebanon.

Press TV said the case has raised concerns among civil rights advocates in the US, who see it as an example of politically motivated immigration enforcement. It added that supporters of the campaign say the case highlights concerns over due process and the line between law and politics.

The broadcaster also reported that hundreds of foreign nationals, including Iranians, have been detained or deported by US immigration authorities in recent months on what it described as “flimsy pretexts”.

News.Az