Muslim civil rights and advocacy group files FOIA and open records requests with local and federal law enforcement
The Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR), the nation’s largest Muslim civil rights and advocacy organization, today announced that it has filed federal Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) and Nevada Public Records Act requests seeking a full public accounting of how Tom Artiom Alexandrovich – a senior Israeli government official arrested for alleged pedophilia – was allowed to leave the United States following his arrest in Las Vegas earlier this month even as the government detains immigrants based on their speech.
CAIR is also calling on U.S. and Nevada officials to demand Alexandrovich’s immediate extradition to face justice in the United States.
SEE: Senior Israeli official flees US following arrest over paedophilia | Middle East Eye
In a statement from CAIR:
“This is an outrageous failure of the justice system. At a time when U.S. authorities are detaining immigrants, revoking visas, and deporting people for nothing more than their political opinions critical of U.S. complicity in Israel’s genocide of Palestinians, an Israeli official accused of attempting to exploit a child was allowed to walk free. There cannot be ‘get out of jail free’ cards for foreign officials facing felony charges.
“The American people deserve answers. The protection of children, the integrity of the justice system, and the principle that no individual, foreign official or otherwise, is above the law demand full transparency and accountability.
“In addition to transparency, CAIR demands that the U.S. government, the State of Nevada, and Clark County immediately seek Alexandrovich’s extradition to ensure he is returned to the United States and held accountable before a court of law.”
Alexandrovich, head of the Israel National Cyber Directorate’s technological defense division, was arrested during a Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department sting operation targeting online child sex predators. He was booked on felony charges of luring a child with a computer for sexual activity. Despite the seriousness of the allegations and his status as a foreign national with no diplomatic immunity, he was released on bail, not required to surrender his passport, and permitted to fly back to Israel “on the scheduled date of return.”
CAIR stated that its FOIA and open records requests demand disclosure of all records, communications, and internal documents related to Alexandrovich’s arrest, bail conditions, release, and departure from the United States. CAIR will immediately make public the results of these requests upon receipt.
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CONTACT: CAIR National Deputy Director Edward Ahmed Mitchell, 404-285-9530, e-Mitchell@cair.com; CAIR Government Affairs Director Robert McCaw, 202-742-6448, rmccaw@cair.com; CAIR National Communications Director Ibrahim Hooper, 202-744-7726, ihooper@cair.com; CAIR National Communications Manager Ismail Allison, 202-770-6280, iallison@cair.com