WASHINGTON — Mohammad Rahim Wahidi, a former Taliban-appointed ambassador to Spain and a lawful U.S. resident, remains in immigration detention after a federal judge declined to order his release on Monday, according to a report by Politico.
Wahidi, who resides in Sterling, Virginia, with his American wife, Mary Shakeri-Wahidi, was detained Saturday at Dulles International Airport upon arrival from Turkey. His lawyer contends the detention is part of a broader Trump administration policy targeting immigrants considered at odds with U.S. foreign policy.
While Wahidi’s ties to the former Taliban government raise concerns, his lawyer argues that the detention stems not from his own past but from a criminal case involving his brother-in-law, Farhad Shakeri. Shakeri has been charged in a New York federal court with participating in an Iranian plot to assassinate an exiled journalist critical of Tehran. The journalist, Masih Alinejad, has previously been the target of multiple thwarted assassination attempts.
According to a petition filed Sunday in the U.S. District Court in Alexandria, Wahidi was interrogated—allegedly by FBI agents—about Shakeri upon his arrival at Dulles. His wife, who accompanied him, was released.
The case is further complicated by reports that Spain recently revoked Wahidi’s diplomatic immunity amid allegations of sexual assault. However, no criminal charges have been filed against him in that matter.
Following the emergency petition, U.S. District Judge Leonie Brinkema temporarily barred authorities from transferring Wahidi out of the judicial district and ordered his appearance in court on Monday. After the hearing, Brinkema declined to order Wahidi’s release but maintained the order blocking his transfer and reminded officials of their duty to uphold U.S. Customs and Border Protection detention protocols.
“At this point the Court cannot offer any relief,” Brinkema, a Clinton appointee, wrote in her ruling.
Neither Wahidi’s attorney, Hassan Ahmad, nor U.S. Customs and Border Protection responded to requests for comment.
