An Indian academic pursuing research in the United States has been detained by immigration authorities, sparking concerns over academic freedom and political targeting. Badar Khan Suri, a scholar at Georgetown University, was taken into custody outside his home in Virginia by masked agents.
Suri is an Indian national and a postdoctoral fellow at the Alwaleed Bin Talal Center for Muslim-Christian Understanding at Georgetown University’s Edmund A Walsh School of Foreign Service. His academic research focused on peacebuilding and state-building in conflict zones, particularly in Afghanistan and Iraq.
Suri completed his PhD in Peace & Conflict Studies from the Nelson Mandela Center for Peace and Conflict Resolution at Jamia Millia Islamia, New Delhi, in 2020. His thesis, “Transitional Democracy, Divided Societies and Prospects for Peace: A Study of State Building in Afghanistan and Iraq,” was focused on the challenges of establishing democracy in ethnically diverse nations.
Throughout his career, Suri has traveled extensively across conflict zones, including regions in India, Pakistan, Iran, Turkey, Syria, Lebanon, Egypt, and Palestine. His fieldwork has provided critical insights into the realities of war-torn societies and the obstacles to sustainable peace.
His detention comes amid heightened scrutiny of international students and academics in the US. According to Politico, Suri was arrested under a rarely used immigration provision, the same legal mechanism used against another Indian student, Ranjani Srinivasan, who recently self-deported following accusations of supporting Hamas.
His lawyer, Hassan Ahmad, has filed a lawsuit demanding his immediate release, arguing that he has no criminal record and is being unfairly targeted.
Suri’s wife, Mapheze Saleh, a US citizen, has been accused of having ties to Hamas and previously worked for Al Jazeera. The couple reportedly faced online harassment from far-right groups over advocating Palestinian rights.
Georgetown University expressed support for Suri, saying that he was legally granted a visa for his research and that they have not been informed of any wrongdoing on his part.
Suri’s case has drawn attention to the US government’s broader crackdown on student activists and academics critical of its foreign policy, raising concerns about the suppression of dissent and the impact on academic freedom.
