(WASHINGTON, D.C., 6/30/22) – The attorney representing the family of Rezwan Kohistani, a 16-year-old Afghan refugee who reportedly died by hanging at his Missouri school in May, and a coalition of supportive community organizations today shared an update on the investigation into his death.
In a statement, attorney William Fleischaker announced that he will be representing the family of Rezwan Kohistani, whose body was found on May 5, 2022, at Webb City High School in Webb City, Mo.
SEE: Missouri High School Under Scrutiny After Afghan Refugee’s Suicide on Campus
In a statement, attorney Fleischaker said:
“The Kohistanis deserve to know what if any external forces lead Rezwan to believe that the only way out of his misery was to end his life. Furthermore, they need to be satisfied that Rezwan did, in fact, take his own life and if he did not, then they deserve to have those responsible for his death brought to justice.”
The Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR), Kohistani family members and other individuals have agreed to support Fleischaker’s efforts to uncover the facts about the death of the student.
In a statement, CAIR National Deputy Executive Director Edward Ahmed Mitchell said:
“We fully support family attorney William Fleischaker’s efforts to find the truth about the tragic loss of Rezwan Kohistani at Webb City High School. We join other organizations in pledging our support for the family’s efforts. The police must conduct a swift, transparent and thorough investigation, and our society must take steps to protect young people, including refugees.”
In May, numerous Afghan-American and Muslim organizations, including CAIR’s Missouri chapter and national office of CAIR, called for a thorough and transparent police investigation into the hanging death of Rezwan Kohistani.
In April 2022, CAIR released its 2022 civil rights report documenting 177 school incidents complaints, a 55% increase since 2020.
SEE: Still Suspect: The Impact of Structural Islamophobia
https://www.cair.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/04/Still-Suspect-Report-2022.pdf
Research has demonstrated that Muslims face bullying at twice the rate of the national average. CAIR National’s 2021 Report, Resilience in the Face of Hate, documented 114 school-related incidents ranging from bullying, Islamophobic school curriculum, and holiday denials.
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CONTACT: Attorney William J. Fleischaker, 417-623-2865, [email protected]; CAIR National Deputy Director Edward Ahmed Mitchell, 404-285-9530, [email protected]