A 35-year-old former U.S. Army sergeant, Bajun "Baji" Mavalwalla II, faces federal charges carrying up to six years in prison after participating in an ICE protest. Legal experts characterize the charges as a potential test of efforts to criminalize dissent. Authorities identified Mavalwalla in a protest video shared on Instagram and charged him with "conspiracy to impede or injure officers." Mavalwalla, an Afghanistan combat veteran who survived a roadside bomb, was reportedly struck by a rubber bullet during the protest. His father, Bajun Ray Mavalwalla, filmed his arrest at their Spokane home and called the actions unconscionable. Journalist Aaron Glantz has reported on the case for The Guardian.
A 35-year-old former U.S. Army sergeant, Bajun "Baji" Mavalwalla II, faces up to six years in prison for protesting against ICE deportations in what legal experts are calling a test case for the Trump administration's attempts to criminalize and punish dissent. Mavalwalla was arrested and charged with "conspiracy to impede or injure officers" after he was identified in a video taken at the protest and shared on Instagram.
Mavalwalla was arrested and charged with "conspiracy to impede or injure officers" after he was identified in a video taken at the protest and shared on Instagram. Mavalwalla, who survived a roadside bomb blast while serving in Afghanistan, was also injured by a rubber bullet at the protest. "This whole event has been staged by the Trump administration," says Mavalwalla's father, Bajun Ray Mavalwalla, who witnessed and filmed his son's arrest at their home in Spokane, Washington. "It's unconscionable."
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