Federal Indictment Charges 8 in University of Michigan Terror Campaign to Force Israel Divestment
Updated
Updated · Detroit News · Jun 10
Federal Indictment Charges 8 in University of Michigan Terror Campaign to Force Israel Divestment
3 articles · Updated · Detroit News · Jun 10
Summary
A 63-page federal indictment unsealed Wednesday accuses eight people tied to the University of Michigan of threatening officials, police, businesses and Jewish institutions from October 2023 through April 2025.
Prosecutors say the group used encrypted chats and social media to research targets, spray-paint threats, break windows and throw jars of noxious chemicals at family homes to pressure the university to cut Israel-linked investments.
Two defendants, Zainab Hakim and Paige Feyock, also face a 20-year witness-intimidation charge tied to an alleged July 2024 threat against a student; the conspiracy count carries up to five years.
Court filings cite messages about "kill," "torment" and "terrorize" targets including then-president Santa Ono, while investigators tied the case to vandalism at Ono's home and a regent's law firm.
U.S. marshals are holding the defendants until a Friday detention hearing, as protesters outside the Detroit courthouse called the case a First Amendment issue and a regent praised the federal prosecution.
How will federal conspiracy charges against student activists reshape the future of campus protests across the nation?
What is the new legal line between protected speech and criminal activity for student protesters?
Michigan FACE Act Convictions: Sentencing, Appeals, and Political Fallout for Anti-Abortion Activists
Overview
Seven Michigan activists convicted under the FACE Act are awaiting sentencing for blocking clinic entrances, with actions including Eva Edl sitting in front of a main door and Heather Idoni chaining herself to another. Some, like Chester Gallagher, Eva Edl, and Heather Idoni, also face sentencing in Tennessee for a similar 2021 blockade, which was delayed until the Michigan trial concluded. Heather Idoni is already serving a separate two-year sentence. The upcoming sentencing will determine penalties for these coordinated actions, reflecting how outcomes in one case can influence others and highlighting the broader legal consequences for protest activities.