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November 04, 2025 – UK/Tunisia/USA –
British-Tunisian commentator and journalist Sami Hamdi, known for his outspoken commentary on the war in Gaza and pro-Palestinian advocacy, is at the centre of a diplomatic and human-rights dispute after suffering a serious health scare during his detention by the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agency. His family and legal team say that Hamdi, 35, reported excruciating left-side abdominal pain while being held in an overcrowded cell at the McFarland, California, facility, prompting urgent medical attention only after repeated appeals and diplomatic pressure.
Hamdi was detained on October 26 after arriving at San Francisco International Airport on a speaking tour for the Council on American‑Islamic Relations (CAIR). His visa had been revoked on October 24 as U.S. authorities claimed his prior remarks celebrated the Hamas-led October 7, 2023 attacks—allegations his legal team disputes as selective editing and politically motivated. His lawyers filed a habeas corpus petition and an emergency restraining order to prevent his transfer to a remote facility and to challenge the lawfulness of his detention.
In a brief phone call to his wife, Soumaya Hamdi, Sami said: “I’m in a lot of pain… they haven’t brought a doctor.” He was later seen by a medical professional who suggested a severe case of gastroenteritis but noted delays in care. Hamdi’s family says the room where he was held housed 80-90 people in bunk beds, raising alarm over his physical safety and mental well-being.
The case has triggered urgent calls from the National Union of Journalists (NUJ) and other press freedom advocates for the British government to secure his release and to intervene diplomatically. The family says the government’s response has been “disappointing” given Hamdi’s status as a UK citizen and long-time media figure.
Hamdi’s situation spotlights mounting concerns over free speech, immigration enforcement, and the treatment of journalists abroad. Advocacy groups warn that detaining a recognised journalist without formal charges, amid health-care failures and unclear legal grounds, could create a chilling precedent for media freedom and political expression in the United States and beyond.
Reference –
https://www.newarab.com/news/uk-journalist-sami-hamdi-suffers-medical-emergency-us-custody
https://www.the-independent.com/news/world/americas/sami-hamdi-ice-wife-israel-gaza-b2857499.html
