College Activists in Court for Threatening University of Michigan Leaders

A group of college-aged activists were released on bond after facing charges of conspiring to threaten University of Michigan leaders concerning their refusal to divest from Israel. On Friday, four of the eight defendants, Zainab Hakim, 23, Paige Feyock, 26, Jonathan Zou, 22, and Colin Weger, 24, appeared before U.S. Magistrate Judge Anthony Patti. This followed the announcement by FBI Director Kash Patel of seven arrests linked to the case.

After the defendants pleaded not guilty, Judge Patti ordered their release on bond based on court records reviewed by Fox News Digital. Conditions of their release include surrendering passports, no contact with victims or co-defendants, and compliance with GPS monitoring and travel restrictions, as reported by CBS News.

Prosecutors argued for the defendants to remain in custody due to being flight risks and community threats. The judge, however, highlighted concerns regarding free speech because social media posts by the accused are crucial to the case.

Soon after the Hamas attacks in October 2023, the suspects allegedly coordinated efforts to intimidate university leaders and businesses they believed financially supported Israel. The Eastern District of Michigan’s U.S. Attorney’s Office released an image showing one such intimidation instance, where fake corpses were placed outside University of Michigan Regent Sarah Hubbard’s home in May 2024. Hubbard expressed appreciation for law enforcement’s dedicated efforts.

The indictment reveals that defendants vandalized properties with phrases like “Free Palestine,” “Divest Now,” and “Intifada,” including spray painting the Jewish Federation Building on the anniversary of the 2023 Hamas attacks. Prosecutors also accuse them of tampering with properties by caulking doors, using bike locks on entrances, breaking windows, and throwing butyric acid-filled jars. Images of these acts were reportedly shared online.

Beyond vandalism, the indictment details months-long stalking of targets and discussions on employing “poison, bombs, and psychological torture.” On May 21, 2024, Feyock and Ahmet Korkaya allegedly agreed to terrorize their targets. Korkaya allegedly mentioned a “hit list” targeting a whole family and spoke of being the “dirtiest doctor,” poisoning his targets.

Korkaya appeared in Wisconsin’s federal court and awaits a detention hearing. Hakim and Feyock face a witness intimidation charge, potentially resulting in a 20-year prison term and a $250,000 fine upon conviction.

Also charged were Jonathan Hongru Zou, 22, and Alexander Sepulveda, 23, accused of throwing jars with an unknown blue substance, and vandalizing the University’s Provost Laurie McCauley’s residence. This event reportedly happened in March 2025. Sepulveda was warned of a search warrant at his home, prompting him to delete data from his devices.

Sepulveda is scheduled for a bond hearing in a federal Detroit court. Those charged with conspiracy to transmit a threat face up to five years in prison and a $250,000 fine.

The Associated Press contributed to this report. James Cirrone, associated with Fox News Digital’s Breaking/Trending News team, can be contacted for story tips at [email protected].