Brown professor, doctor accused of having photos ‘sympathetic’ to Hezbollah on phone

PROVIDENCE, R.I. (WLNE) — A Brown Medicine doctor and professor who was deported to Lebanon after being detained at Logan airport in Boston Thursday was deported due to images “sympathetic” to terrorist group Hezbollah in her phone.

Dr. Rasha Alawieh, 34, was detained Thursday at Boston’s Logan airport after visiting her family in Lebanon.

She was then deported, despite a federal court order against it until a hearing was held.

Alawieh has a US visa and according to the Associated Press, she was going to begin teaching as an assistant professor of medicine at Brown University.

The government says Alawieh was questioned last Thursday about photos found in her phone’s “recently deleted folder.”

The government said it showed, “Sympathetic” images of Hezbollah leaders and militants.

Alawieh reportedly explained she deleted the photos because she didn’t want to give the wrong impression that she supports Hezbollah militarily or politically.

Monday’s hearing was canceled.