Feds want pro-Palestinian activist jailed amid University of Michigan terror case

DETROIT — Federal prosecutors asked a judge Nov. 2 to arrest and jail the accused ringleader of an alleged conspiracy to terrorize members of the Jewish community and University of Michigan officials, saying the pro-Palestinian activist sabotaged FBI agents, obstructed justice and destroyed evidence while on bond.

Zainab Hakim, 23, of Canton Township, is a dangerous liar who should be arrested and jailed indefinitely in a high-profile case involving a group of pro-Palestinian activists accused of waging a campaign of threats and vandalism targeting UM leaders, police and businesses, Assistant U.S. Attorneys Margaret Smith and Robert Kuhn wrote in a Nov. 2 court filing.

The court filing provides a rare look at the backstory of a federal sting last week that led to arrests and charges against four more people — including Hakim's live-in boyfriend, Henry David Mackeen-Shapiro, 23, of Detroit. In all, 12 people have been charged since May, including Hakim, who is accused of helping destroy one victim’s law firm, throwing mason jar bombs into a victim’s home and spray-painting a car belonging to the victim’s wife, among other actions.

In preparing to arrest Mackeen-Shapiro and a second man, Aaron Hunter Vonbargen, 25, of Ypsilanti, on Oct. 29, government officials called a Vonbargen relative to let them know there was a warrant for Aaron's arrest. Investigators suspect that within the next hour, word of the impending arrests reached Hakim because when officers arrived at the Detroit townhouse she shares with Mackeen-Shapiro, they were forced to breach the unit after Hakim and two others inside failed to open the door.

Once inside, investigators found bags of clothes under Hakim's bed concealing a wet laptop computer that the government believes belongs to Mackeen-Shapiro, prosecutors wrote.

"The sabotaged MacBook had been recently dunked in water," prosecutors wrote. "Droplets remained on the screen and touchpad. All evidence points to Zainab Hakim either being tipped off by a conspirator, or hearing the police knock and announce, and destroying (or attempting to destroy) and hiding Mackeen-Shapiro’s laptop computer."

Hakim's lawyer, Amanda Bashi, plans to challenge the government's allegations.

"We strongly contest the government's allegations and look forward to filing our responsive brief," she wrote in an email to The Detroit News.

During a detention hearing in June, Bashi said the indictment had been "earth-shaking" for Hakim, a UM graduate with a 4.0 grade-point average and otherwise spotless criminal record.

"It's been a scary wake-up call," Bashi said at the time.

The bond drama is unfolding five months after Hakim was released on bond with a GPS tether despite objections from federal prosecutors.

"Perhaps this court believed her when she said she would comply with all her conditions," prosecutors wrote. "But she lied."

In the Nov. 2 court filing, prosecutors suggested U.S. District Judge Judith Levy ignored evidence Hakim hates Jews, the Israeli state, and law enforcement.

Hakim initially was released on bond and placed on home confinement. In September, Levy relaxed that condition by imposing a curfew, calling home confinement "tremendously demoralizing."

Hakim's bond conditions were relaxed after her lawyer cited the alleged ringleader's conduct while on bond.

"She has followed every condition and instruction. There have been no violations or concerns. She has developed a good rapport with her supervising pretrial officer and asks for timely permission to attend work, religious events, and appointments with her attorney," Bashi wrote. "Ms. Hakim’s flawless performance on bond thus far indicates she will continue to abide by all release conditions."

At the time, Levy disagreed with the government's claim that Hakim hates Israeli or Jewish people.

"There’s nothing that’s happened over the last two months or maybe last year or anytime that I’ve seen, there’s nothing in the indictment, there’s nothing in any of this material that would indicate that that’s the case," the judge said in court.

However, on Nov. 2, prosecutors said there was ample evidence of Hakim's antisemitic and anti-law enforcement views. Hakim wrote chants for the group that called for Israel Occupational Forces to "burn in hell" and exchanged antisemitic messages with her boyfriend.

"This defendant’s steadfast belief that she is supporting a righteous cause and has not done anything wrong is exactly what makes her dangerous," prosecutors wrote.

One message proposed a new pro-Iran chant: "Settler settlers / does it hurt / Iran will turn your state to dirt / listen to Hamas and Yemen / your time for dancing's finally ended."

The dancing line, prosecutors said, is a reference to the October 7, 2023, Hamas attack at the Nova music festival, where 378 were killed in the assault.

"There is no way to interpret chants like this except as direct support for Hamas to mass murder Israelis," prosecutors wrote. "And these are not one-off statements. Given the underlying offenses involving threats, intimidation, and animus and the record as a whole demonstrating a serious risk to public safety, these statements are highly relevant to detention.

Hakim is the leader of the group accused of orchestrating a campaign of terror that involved spray-painting and defacing homes and properties, throwing stink bombs into at least one UM regent's home, and talking about kidnapping and firebombing other targets, including a pro-life center, according to the indictment. The goal was to force UM to sever ties with Israel.

The alleged campaign of terror targeted victims that included former UM President Santa Ono, Regent Jordan Acker and the Jewish Federation of Detroit, prosecutors alleged.

"...She knowingly and purposefully destroyed evidence and tried to hide it," prosecutors wrote. "This egregious behavior warrants detention. Zainab Hakim led the charge to instill fear, threaten, and intimated close to a dozen individuals.

"...Even the most-restrictive bond conditions would not have prevented her new crimes: obstructing and destroying evidence inside her bedroom," prosecutors wrote. "Bond is about trust."

________