“As seen in the linked video, Mr. Chowdhury was out of breath and apologized. The judge, Alexis G. Krot, shamed him, spoke over him, and told him he could not use cancer as an excuse.”
“She has a history of being bigoted to immigrants. We are calling for action from the city of Hamtramck to remove Alexis Krot as a judge!” wrote Anjum Uddin, the organizer of the petition.
Since its inception, the petition has gained just shy of two hundred and fifty thousand signatures. The community is appalled that a judge would treat Burhan in such a despicable way.
“This is disgusting and shameful! Judges like her should be removed from the judicial system! Being a judge in a city like Hamtramck– where almost all of its residents are immigrants or of an immigrant family– she needs to be more aware and understanding of how she talks and treats people,” wrote Nabeha Jawany after signing the petition.
“Hamtramck needs a compassionate and empathetic judge to its inhabitants. How are we supposed to trust a justice system that lacks humanity?” wrote Mushera K., who also signed the petition.
On January 21, Anjum announced that the judge had issued an apology. However, she regarded it as “underwhelming” and “a few weeks late.”
“I made a mistake. I acted intemperately. I’m very embarrassed that I did so. I apologize to the person who appeared before me and to our entire community for having failed to meet the high standards we expect of our judicial officers and that I expect of myself,” Judge Krot wrote in her release.
Anjum refuses to accept this apology, and the petition continues to gain supporters. She said that the issue is much larger than just Burhan Chowdhury.
“It’s for all immigrants and POC who have been discriminated against, who felt like they did not belong in this country. We want to be heard, we want to be respected, we want to be treated as equals,” Anjum wrote in the update.
Besides the petition, Anjum also included a link to donate to Burhan Chowdhury directly. So far, one hundred and thirty supporters have donated just shy of five thousand dollars toward his medical expenses and home management costs. To donate to Burhan, visit his Launchgood link here.
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