Turkish scientist gets released from US custody on bail
Seyit Sahin, chairman of the Turkish American National Steering Committee (TASC) and a lawyer, told Anadolu that Dolek was freed pending trial from a detention center in El Paso, Texas, near the Mexican border, and later traveled to Chicago with his attorney.
In a joint statement, Sahin and attorney Michael Gokhan Kiran, who are monitoring the case on behalf of TASC, said: “It is our responsibility to defend the rights of the Turkish American community. Dr. Furkan Dolek’s regaining his freedom is the natural outcome of this responsibility.”
With TASC’s support, the Turkish-American community quickly raised the bail funds. Dolek will reside in Chicago while his legal process continues.
Dolek, who completed postdoctoral research at Virginia Tech and CERN in Switzerland, later worked at Fermilab, the US Department of Energy’s national laboratory for particle physics near Chicago. In March 2024, he reported unsafe conditions, irregularities, and potential radioactive exposure affecting staff.
After sharing his findings with authorities and on social media, Dolek was dismissed from Fermilab in April 2024 and had his research visa revoked. He later described his experiences on LinkedIn, stating he had observed “exploited researchers forced to work under unsafe conditions,” with “the most vulnerable left unprotected while misconduct was covered up” and “fraud and retaliation against anyone who dared to speak.”
“I reported it through every official whistleblower channel. Instead of protection, I was punished: false charges, dismissal and total institutional silence,” Dolek said.
He filed a lawsuit over the visa cancellation, but after unsuccessful legal proceedings, he had been living in the US without valid documentation for several months.
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