Akhmed Yakoob, a lawyer and political candidate, was detained by counter-terror police at the Channel Tunnel, raising concerns over political motivations behind the action
He claims they were really interested in his political views, especially about Gaza. Yakoob said he was held for about six hours, which is the max time allowed. He missed the last train through the Channel Tunnel, leaving him stuck overnight.
He shared that the police asked him a bunch of questions about his mayoral campaign and his opinions on Hamas and Hizbollah. He felt it was all politically motivated. Yakoob was pretty upset about how he was treated, saying it felt like they were trying to make him look like a terrorist just for running for office.
After the questioning, he was let go but his phone and laptop were taken for further investigation. He’s waiting to get them back, which could take a week. He made sure to give them access to his devices only after getting some guarantees about protecting sensitive client info.
This isn’t the first time Yakoob has been in the news. He recently had to apologize and pay a teacher after sharing a video that falsely labeled her as a racist. That didn’t sit well with a lot of people, including some politicians who said he’s not fit for public office.
Yakoob has run for election a couple of times and plans to do it again. He believes his detention was politically charged, especially since he’s been vocal about his views. It’s a wild situation, and it’s got everyone talking about the balance between security and political expression.
