The Media Line: Brazil Deports Palestinian Man Linked to Hamas Following US Tip

Brazil Deports Palestinian Man Linked to Hamas Following US Tip

By The Media LineThe Media Line Staff

Brazilian federal police have deported a Palestinian man with alleged ties to Hamas, along with his family, after the US State Department alerted authorities to his recent arrival in the country, law enforcement sources said Monday.

Muslim Abuumar, arriving on a flight from Kuala Lumpur on Friday with his pregnant wife, son, and mother-in-law, was detained at São Paulo’s Guarulhos airport.

Abuumar is the executive director of the Asia-Middle East Center, a think tank based in Kuala Lumpur. His wife and children are Malaysian nationals, according to the family’s lawyer.

In her ruling, Judge Milenna da Cunha cited social media posts by Abuumar showing his meeting with Hamas political chief Ismail Haniyeh in Qatar as sufficient grounds for the deportation.

The family has since been placed on a flight to Doha.

Bruno Henrique de Moura, Abuumar’s lawyer, publicly criticized the ruling, stating that his client had traveled to Brazil to visit his brother and that police detained the family without a warrant.

Abuumar arrived with a large amount of luggage for what was allegedly just a visit, leading police to suspect he came to serve as a Hamas spokesperson.

Palestinian Ambassador to Brazil Ibrahim Al Zeben said no one had contacted them about Abuumar but emphasized their trust in Brazilian policy in such matters.

Brazil has recognized Palestinian statehood since 1975, and in 2010, President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva approved the construction of a Palestinian Embassy in Brasília.