Update: This story has been updated with additional information about the Iowa Department of Corrections’ role in the decision to keep Mohamedali in jail.
On Monday morning, a judge ordered Mazin Mohamedali, a leader of the Iowa Freedom Riders, held without bail following his arrest on Sunday on three charges related to an Iowa City protest his group led on June 3.
Mohamedali was charged with unlawful assembly and disorderly conduct–obstructing a public way, both simple misdemeanors. He was also charged with violating the terms of his probation agreement.
The judge said Mohamedali could have been released on protest-related charges but said she didn’t have authority to overstep the [Iowa Department of Corrections] order he be placed in a halfway house” for violating his probation, according to the Gazette.
The Associated Press reported the petition presented in court by the IDOC referenced a Daily Iowan story on Saturday’s protest led by the Iowa Freedom Riders, in which Mohamedali is quoted as saying protesters would be ready for a confrontation when they march on Monday night.
IDOC claimed that statement demonstrated Mohamedali “poses a threat to the community and local law enforcement.” The department said it is seeking to have Mohamedali’s probation revoked.
Mohamedali was sentenced to three years of probation as part of a 2018 plea deal, in which he pleaded guilty to a charge of second-degree robbery. According to court records, this is the second time Mohamedali has been charged with violating the terms of his probation. In December 2019, he was charged with contempt of court, which was a violation. He was also arrested in January for possession of a controlled substance, after police discovered he was in possession of marijuana. That case remains open.
The judge ordered that Mohamedali remain in jail until he can be admitted to Hope House, a residential confinement center in Coralville.
The Gazette also reported “University of Iowa police… told the Department of Corrections they were charging Mohamedali with second- and fifth-degree criminal mischief and criminal trespass.”
After his court appearance, Mohamedali was transferred from the Johnson County Jail to the jail in Marshall County.
