British Journalists Detained By US Immigration For Voiced Genocide In Gaza Return To London

JAKARTA - British journalist Sami Hamdi, who has been detained by US immigration officers for more than two weeks, will return to England.

Reported by CNN, the London-based journalist was detained by Immigration and Customs (ICE) on October 26 at San Francisco International Airport, a day after speaking at the California Council of American-Islamic Relations (CAIR) annual gala event.

Authorities told Hamdim he was detained after crossing the visa deadline.

However, Hamdi and his legal team claimed he was in the US on a valid visa and was detained for voicing Israel's war in Gaza.

Hamdi said he left the US "voluntarily," in a statement on Thursday, November 13.

"I am very grateful to my family, my legal team, and every individual in the global community who prays, rallies, and refuses to remain silent. Let the note show: I have not violated the law and have not posed a threat. My only 'violation' is to tell the undeniable truth about genocide in Gaza," said Hamdi.

Hamdi is known for his analysis of developments in the Middle East and his performances on British TV.

He recently spoke of a US-brokered ceasefire deal in Gaza and international plans for postwar governance of the region.

Hamdi said he was experiencing a "hard" condition in ICE custody, where he admitted to being held in a small room with dozens of men and was forced to wait more than eight hours for medical treatment, according to the statement.

Hamdi also said he was handcuffed despite never being charged with any crime, according to the statement.