Amnesty International has described the US arrest and detention of pro-Palestinian student activist Mahmoud Khalil as part of a “racist trend” across the world aimed at stifling Palestinian rights and solidarity, Al Jazeera reports.

“In the US as well as the UK, Germany and other European states, Amnesty has documented cases of students and staff advocating for an end to the genocide in Gaza facing undue restrictions of their rights and retaliation, including police violence and sanctions,” the rights group said.

Amnesty said Khalil must be released and universities must take steps to protect their immigrant student population.