'Was Chained Head-To-Toe, Received Kafka-esque Treatment': Indian Scholar With Alleged Ties To Hamas Recounts 'Torture' In US Detention

Washingon: Badar Khan Suri, an Indian academic and visiting scholar at Georgetown University, has alleged he was subjected to degrading treatment during his two-month detention in the United States, following his arrest over suspected links to Hamas. Suri, who has now been released, described the experience as “Kafka-esque” and said he was chained head to toe while being moved across multiple states.

His release was ordered by US District Judge Patricia Giles in Alexandria, Virginia, who ruled that his detention violated the First Amendment of the US Constitution, which guarantees freedom of speech. Judge Giles allowed Suri to rejoin his family on personal recognisance.

Chained and Isolated: Scholar Recounts Ordeal

Suri was arrested outside his home in Arlington, Virginia, by plainclothes federal agents and was held without formal charges. In an interview with NBC News after his release, he said, “There was no charge, there was nothing. They made a sub-human out of me.”

He described being completely restrained during transport: “It was Kafka-esque... my ankles, my wrist, my body, everything was chained.” For over a week, Suri said he was held in isolation, unable to see daylight. “For the first seven, eight days, I even missed my shadow,” he recalled.

Due to overcrowding in Virginia, Suri was transferred to the Prairieland Detention Center in Texas via Louisiana, according to his account.

Family Impact and Academic Background

The scholar expressed deep concern for his children’s emotional well-being during his incarceration. “My eldest son is only nine... he knew where I was and was crying a lot,” he told NBC, adding that the child is now in need of mental health support.

Suri, who previously studied at Jamia Millia Islamia, holds a PhD in peace and conflict studies and was teaching a course on “Majoritarianism and Minority Rights in South Asia” at Georgetown University, as per the university’s website.