The National Coalition Against Censorship (NCAC) has joined Foundation for Individual Rights and Expression (FIRE), the Rutherford Institute, the Cato Institute, and the First Amendment Lawyers Association in filing an amicus curiae brief before the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit. This critical case, Ozturk v. Hyde, raises profound questions about the scope of free expression in the United States and the government’s power to silence voices it disfavors.
At the center of the case is Rümeysa Öztürk, a PhD student and lawful U.S. visa holder, who was arrested and detained following the publication of a pro-Palestinian op-ed in her university newspaper. The government does not allege that Ms. Öztürk committed any crime or engaged in prohibited conduct. Instead, officials have openly stated that her detention was rooted in disapproval of her political views. Such action represents not only unconstitutional retaliation but also an alarming form of viewpoint discrimination that strikes at the heart of the First Amendment.
Read the full amicus brief here:
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