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According to journalist Matt Sledge of The Intercept, a researcher for an Islamophobic organization contributed to the formulation of charges against a group of protesters in Texas.
According to a report by journalist Matt Sledge published in The Intercept , a researcher from the American think tank Center for Security Policy helped federal prosecutors draft parts of the terrorism indictment against a group of protesters in Texas.
Researcher Kyle Shideler stated during his court testimony that he gave prosecutors a definition of the term "antifa," which was later used in the indictment against what authorities call the "North Texas antifa cell."
The charges were filed after a protest outside a U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement detention center near Dallas. Demonstrators staged a fireworks protest to express solidarity with detainees at the Prairieland Detention Center in Alvarado.
During the clash with police, an officer was shot in the neck. Nine people are facing charges in court, who face long sentences or even life imprisonment.
Defense attorneys have questioned the role of the think tank where Shideler works. The Center for Security Policy was founded by Frank Gaffney, a former U.S. Defense Department official during the Ronald Reagan administration. Gaffney has often been described by critics as an Islamophobic activist because of his anti-Islam theories and stances.
The organization itself has been accused of promoting Islamophobic ideas in its activities and publications. The Southern Poverty Law Center has previously classified the organization as a hate group, a designation that Shideler disputed during his court testimony.
The defendants' lawyers also pointed out that the researcher does not use verifiable academic methods, does not undergo a scientific review process, and relies primarily on open materials on the internet.
Matt Sledge's reporting highlights that the court testimony has opened a new debate in the United States about the role of ideological organizations and political think tanks in preparing federal terrorism charges against political activists.
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