Judge grants bond for four pro-Palestinian U-M students charged with vandalism, transmitting threats

DETROIT — Four among the eight pro-Palestinian University of Michigan students and alumni who are alleged to have threatened and vandalized the homes and property of school leaders, law enforcement officials and businesses each stood mute as they faced arraignments on Friday after being arrested and charged earlier this week.

That led U.S. District Magistrate Judge Anthony Patti of the Eastern District of Michigan to enter not guilty pleas on their behalf, setting up what is sure to be a tense court battle as prosecutors must convince the court that they have enough evidence to take the cases to trial.

Facing arraignments and detention hearings in Detroit on Friday were Zainab Hakim, Paige Feyock, Jonathan Zou and Colin Weger. Court records show that alleged co-conspirator Ahmet Korkaya’s arraignment is set for June 15, while Miriam Odeh, who The Detroit News reported is an ex-staffer of U.S. Senate candidate Abdul El-Sayed, is set for arraignment at 1 p.m. on July 1.  No information was available about Amatullah Hakim’s court dates as of Friday afternoon, although defense attorneys said she was currently in India on a work-study program.

After hours of individual bond hearings on Friday afternoon, Patti ordered that Hakim, Feyock, Zou and Weger be released on bond despite prosecutors asserting that pre-trial incarceration was necessary.

Federal prosecutors outlined their reasoning to have the student and alumni activists detained in a 38-page brief supporting the decision ahead of the hearings. Prosecutors argued that their case was not about the lawful right to protest, nor was it an attempt by the government to silence or punish the defendants for their pro-Palestinian views.

Instead, prosecutors argued, a grand jury reviewed the evidence and issued an indictment against the activists because it was clear that they violated multiple federal statutes with planned and coordinated acts of vandalism and engaged in making threats on social media.

“To be clear, these threats were not just ‘talk’ or ‘blowing off steam.’ The conspirators stalked their targets by following them on and off campus, performing online research, identifying their cars, and discussing ways to harm them and their families,” prosecutors wrote. “In the dark night, (to appear more threatening, according to them), they traveled to various locations across Michigan to destroy homes and businesses by spray painting threatening symbols and messages.”

Prosecutors further argued that the defendants’ means of transmitting those threats were overall destructive to the communities they were operating in as they sought out specific targets of vandalism by way of political protest.

“They taped demand notes on the victims’ doors. They broke windows and threw glass jars filled with noxious chemicals into family homes while children slept,” the brief states, “They damaged door locks, security cameras, and cars. They posted their conquests on social media to threaten the victims and warn those complicit with their targets that they would be next.”

The brief filed with the court on Thursday also included various photos of what were alleged to be the defendants’ behind-the-scenes work of preparing for the vandalism attacks.

It was on that basis that prosecutors argued for pre-trial incarceration as not just preferred but necessary because prosecutors were concerned about additional political acts of vandalism and threats. There was also a concern that the defendants might not appear for future court dates, as “no condition or combination of conditions will reasonably assure the defendants’ appearance or the community’s safety.”

DOJ indicts 8 pro-Palestinian activists over alleged threats tied to U-M divestment push

In the opening hearing for Zainab Hakim, prosecutors described her as a leader among the defendants and pointed to tickets she and her boyfriend purchased for a one-way flight leaving Saturday morning from Detroit to Montreal as evidence she might flee. 

The government argued the defendants, overall, hold extremist views, see themselves as part of a revolutionary movement, and would continue coordinating if released. However, when questioned by Patti, prosecutors acknowledged there was no evidence that defendants had taken concrete steps to carry out some of the violent acts discussed in chat messages and conceded that no additional criminal conduct had been identified since 2025.

Defense attorneys countered that the government was improperly relying on the defendants’ political beliefs and criticism of Israel and the U.S. government rather than their actions. 

Hakim’s attorney noted that there were tickets also purchased for connecting flights to Europe including a return flight from Paris to Detroit. Also, the court’s pretrial services recommended she be released, noting she had no criminal record, lifelong ties to Michigan, strong academic credentials, and planned to surrender her passport. The defense also argued that the allegations involve property crimes rather than crimes of violence.

Weighing all the factors factors, Patti did not share the concerns of prosecutors as to the group’s potential danger to the community and their potential flight risk.

In ordering Hakim released on a $10,000 unsecured bond, Patti said while the alleged conduct was serious, he noted that the defendants are not charged with terrorism. 

“It was terrorizing, but not terrorism,” Patti said.

Civil rights advocates say U-M protest indictment blurs protected speech, criminal conduct

The judge ultimately concluded that strict conditions, including home detention with GPS monitoring, surrender of her passport, travel restrictions to the Eastern District of Michigan, drug testing, and a prohibition on contact with co-defendants and victims, were sufficient to reasonably assure community safety and Hakeem’s appearance in court.

Although this was no longer a question before the court, lengthy pre-trial incarcerations for the activists would have appeared likely if Patti had decided to detain them. Discussions over hearing dates for preliminary examinations and an inevitable trial often take time and can push those key hearings off for months, sometimes years, on end.

Prior to the 1 p.m. hearings, the progressive Sugar Law Center, which fights for labor and First Amendment rights, and the pro-Palestine student activist group TAHRIR Coalition, held a rally outside the Detroit federal courthouse to stand in solidarity with the eight indicted individuals.

Nearly 50 demonstrators gathered to protest the indictments, holding signs with various slogans including “Drop the Charges” and “Divest Don’t Arrest.”

Michael Mulholland of Detroit called the prosecution “absolutely” politically motivated and said he was there “for free speech for Palestinian supporters” and “against the frame-ups that the federal government has done.” 

He argued that activists who support Palestinian rights are being unfairly targeted, saying, “If you stand for Palestinian rights against the genocide, then you’re considered a terrorist by the federal government.”

Mulholland said any indictment coming from the Trump administration was tainted.

“It doesn’t matter if you are a good attorney or not. The important thing is that you are loyal to Trump. This is the essence of fascism,” he said.

Another demonstrator, Shawn Vaughn of Detroit, was less focused on the Trump administration and criticized both major political parties.

“A lot of these witch hunts that are being carried out now, the way was paved under the Biden administration to do it,” Vaughn said, adding that the country needs “an independent movement that can shift the balance of power away from this two-party system that has only served us fascism.”

While the group protested along the street, many cars honked horns in approval as they passed, with several motorists rolling down their windows and shouting encouragement.

Michigan Advance Editor-in-Chief Jon King contributed to this story.