Relief and a raised fist as Mahmoud Khalil goes free – but release ‘very long overdue’

The Palestinian activist described a bittersweet feeling as he emerged from Ice detention into the Louisiana sun

Mahmoud Khalil squinted in the afternoon sun as he walked away from the fences topped with razor wire, through two tall gates and out into the thick humidity of central Louisiana.

After more than three months detained in this remote and notorious immigration detention center in the small town of Jena, he described a bittersweet feeling of release, walking towards a handful of journalists with a raised fist, visibly relieved, but composed and softly spoken.