DEARBORN, Mich. (FOX 2) - A trustee on the Dearborn Board of Education was detained by Israeli police in Nazareth, according to a lawmaker and colleague on Friday.
Big picture view:
Dearborn Board of Education Trustee Amer Zahr was arrested by the Israeli government while doing a comedy show in a café in Nazareth, according to sources. It is unknown why he was detained. Michigan State Rep. Alabas Farhat called for Zahr’s immediate release in a video on Facebook.
"While details remain unclear, what is known is that the Israeli government has a documented record of human rights violations and inhumane conditions for prisoners," Farhat said.
Zahr's board colleague Adel A. Mozip wrote on Facebook that he is deeply concerned for his safety.
"As an elected official serving my community, I believe Amer deserves full transparency, due process, and immediate access to legal and consular support," he wrote. "This incident is not isolated. There is a well‑documented pattern of systemic mistreatment and discriminatory practices by Israeli police toward Palestinians and Arab individuals."
Dig deeper:
Zahr immigrated to the United States from Nazareth and was a comedian and attorney and is a trustee on the Dearborn School Board. He was doing comedy shows in Nazareth when he was arrested and was expected to perform in the U.S. on Saturday.
As of Friday night, Israeli officials have not yet commented on Zahr's arrest.
This is a developing story. FOX 2 will update this report when we learn more.
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