Adnan Syed faced racial stereotypes in court that weren't scrutinized, experts say

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Prosecutors in Adnan Syed’s trial made hundreds of references to his race and religion, introducing him to the jury by saying, “The defendant is of Pakistani background, he’s a Muslim.” Islamophobia was used as a tool to help convict him, experts say.

Following Adnan Syed’s release from prison Monday, after more than two decades fighting his conviction for the murder of his ex-girlfriend Hae Min Lee, experts and advocates are calling into question the way his race and religion were framed in court during his trial.

Prosecutor Becky Feldman denied NBC News’ request for comment. In her arguments in court Monday, she questioned cellphone tower data that was alleged to have placed Syed at the park where Lee’s body was found, one of the most critical pieces of evidence in the initial conviction. “This is something that has been used to justify colonialism going way back … This notion that men of color, men coming from Asian, South Asian cultures, are inherently misogynistic towards their women, which justifies the intervention that needs to occur,” Selod said. “It constructs women as inherently abused while at the same time constructing men as the abusers. There’s just a long history of that that’s tied to the criminal justice system.

In 2016, a judge granted Syed a new trial, a motion that was later reversed, after his lawyers argued that his original defense team had been grossly negligent — failing to question weak evidence or introduce the testimony of an alibi. While the criminal justice system continues to be marred with systemic racism, South Asian and Muslim communities are better equipped with the tools to challenge injustice or unfair treatment, Singh said.

 

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So after 9/11 they used fear on the jury? Gotcha!

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