Freed from Hamas captivity, former hostage tells his story through his paintings
NEW YORK — You'd be forgiven for looking around Andrei Kozlov's studio, dotted with paintings inspired by his eight months as a hostage of Hamas, and seeing only darkness — canvases splashed with gray and ocher, guns tucked into waistbands or resting against a wall, moments of angst and disbelief and pain.
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CBS News
16 minutes ago
- CBS News
Colorado attorney mistaken for lawyer of Boulder terror attack suspect's family, receives death threats
A construction law attorney in Colorado has been receiving death threats due to being mistaken as the immigration attorney representing the family of Mohamed Soliman, the suspect of the Boulder terror attack. The Colorado attorney has received threats of harm from persons confusing him with a Michigan attorney of the same name, who is representing Soliman's wife and children in federal immigration proceedings. That Michigan attorney, too, has received threats, including one that suggested he be set on fire. A court sketch shows Mohamed Soliman in Denver federal court on June, 6, 2025. Robyn Cochran-Ragland Soliman has been charged with 118 state criminal charges, including 28 counts of attempted murder, and a federal hate crime charge after authorities said he attacked a peaceful walk by Run for Their Lives with Molotov cocktails, leaving 15 people and one dog injured. The group walks each week to bring awareness to Israeli hostages held by Hamas in Gaza. Several days after the attack, Soliman's wife and five children were taken into ICE custody. Authorities said Soliman is an Egyptian national who arrived in the United States on a non-immigrant visa in 2022. He filed for asylum in 2022, said officials, and his visa expired in 2023. The family has been living in Colorado Springs. Mike Michalek, FBI special agent in charge of the Denver field office, said the family has been cooperative with the investigation, and Soliman's wife took her husband's iPhone to the Colorado Springs Police Department. Department of Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem said the family would be processed under expedited removal, a move a federal judge blocked this week. The family is being held in an ICE facility in Dilley, Texas. Media walk past classrooms during a tour of ICE's South Texas Family Residential Center, Friday, Aug. 23, 2019, in Dilley, Texas. U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement hosted a media tour of the center that houses families who are pending disposition of their immigration cases. Eric Gay / AP Many state and local officials, faith leaders and community members publicly denounced the violent terror attack and stressed the dangers of antisemitism, but some people have been directing their anger towards Soliman's family. Michigan-based lawyer Eric Lee, who is representing Soliman's wife and children in immigration court pro bono, said there has been a "substantial influx" of criticism and death threats both to him and his former employers. He shared a recent voicemail with CBS Colorado, in which a person claiming to be a former Colorado police officer threatened him. "Yeah, uh, two hostages, Americans, rescued dead in Israel," the message began, referencing the recovery of the bodies of two Israeli-American hostages earlier this week. The speaker continued, "If you're representing a terrorist family, I hope somebody pours gas on you and burns you, because you're a scumbag and you're anti-American. And as a retired Colorado cop who had to leave there after 23 years of service in the Denver metro area, some Park Counties people like you are a reason I had to leave because you're a [expletive] scumbag and you love terrorists. So, I hope they pour gas on you and burn you somewhere along the line in life, and if not that, you go to hell and burn in fire forever you [expletive] scumbag." In a statement to CBS Colorado, Lee denounced the "atmosphere of violence" and said he will not be intimidated. "In the past 24-hours, I have received a substantial number of threats, including death threats, because I represent a wife and five children (ages 4 to 17) who were arrested, shipped to a detention center in the dark of night and slated for deportation. Another attorney representing the family has also received threats, my former employer's office has faced harassment, and attorneys who share my name have reported receiving death threats as well. The president is responsible for creating an atmosphere of violence by repeatedly dehumanizing immigrants and disparaging their rights. Attorneys representing non-citizens are fulfilling our responsibility to ensure that everyone in this country—citizen and non-citizen alike—obtains the protection of the Constitution. Our legal team will not be intimidated." Colorado-based attorney Eric Lee, who specializes in construction law and works with the Decker & Murphy law firm, has nothing to do with the case. Yet, he's been mistaken for the Soliman family's lawyer due to his name and has also received numerous death threats, his law firm confirmed. CBS Colorado has inquired if either attorney has reported these threats to federal officials, but has not yet received a response. In a recent case involving interstate threats, a Colorado man was sentenced to three years and one month in prison for making violent threats towards election officials in Colorado and Arizona. In 2024, a man in New York pleaded guilty to federal charges of making interstate threats to congressional offices and was sentenced to 13 months in prison. The problem is continuing to grow. In February, the American Bar Association published an article on the increasing threats to judges, civil servants and other public officials, addressing rising safety concerns of those who work in public service and the negative impact it has on those professions. Threats to federal judges alone have risen every year since 2019.
Yahoo
37 minutes ago
- Yahoo
UK Comedian Dawn French Apologizes For 'Clumsy Tone In One-Sided Gaza Video'
UK comedian Dawn French has posted a public apology after posting a video about the war in Gaza, and removed the item from her social media. The 40-second video posted earlier this week showed the star of BBC sitcom The Vicar of Dibley share her views on the conflict, saying 'Complicated, no, but nuanced. But [the] bottom line is no.' More from Deadline BBC Condemns Israel After IDF Soldiers Strip-Searched & Detained Journalists At Gunpoint Cannes Expresses "Profound Sadness" At Death Of Gaza Photojournalist Fatima Hassouna Paramount+ Boards BBC Comedy 'Can You Keep A Secret?' Starring Dawn French & Craig Roberts Switching into a high-pitched voice, she continued: 'Yeah, but you know they did a bad thing to us, yeah but no. But we want that land… and we have history… No. Those people aren't really even people, are they really? No.' Following a backlash with people complaining she was mocking the October 7 attack that ignited the war, French removed the video Saturday and said she never meant to 'mock, or dismiss, or diminish the horror' of the event. She wrote on social media:'I hope you will understand my intention was not to offend, but I clearly have. For which I am sorry and I have removed the video.' French said that she had posted a video in the style that she has been using for social media 'in an effort to convey an important point', although she added that she had 'clumsily used a mocking tone.' 'My intention was NEVER to mock, or dismiss, or diminish the horror of what happened on 7 October 2023 and what continues to unfold from that brutal unthinkable, unforgiveable, savage attack.' She said her intention had been 'to mock and point the finger of shame at the behaviour of the cruel leaders on all sides of this atrocious war.' 'THEY were my target, but clearly I failed to do that, and that's on me. I apologise unreservedly, and I'm particularly sorry that my disgust at Hamas didn't figure. It appeared one-sided and that is wrong.' Almost 1,200 people were killed on October 7 2023 when Hamas led a cross-border attack and took 251 hostages. BBC News reports that 54 remain in captivity. Israel launched a retaliatory campaign in Gaza, with a reported death toll of 54,607. Best of Deadline 2025 TV Series Renewals: Photo Gallery 2025 TV Cancellations: Photo Gallery 'Stick' Soundtrack: All The Songs You'll Hear In The Apple TV+ Golf Series
Fox News
37 minutes ago
- Fox News
Aaron Rodgers officially signs one-year contract with Steelers worth over $13 million: report
Aaron Rodgers is officially headed to Pittsburgh next season. The four-time league MVP officially signed a contract with the Pittsburgh Steelers on Saturday and will address the media on Tuesday for the first time following the team's first minicamp practice, the Steelers' senior director of communications Burt Lauten announced on X. Rodgers, 41, signed a one-year deal worth up to $19.5 million with incentives, which includes a $10 million guarantee, ESPN reported, citing sources. The news, first reported on Wednesday, ended months of speculation as to whether Rodgers would return for another NFL season or enter retirement after a failed two-year stint with the New York Jets. Rodgers addressed the rumors about his decision and his time with the Jets, during an appearance on "The Pat McAfee Show" in April. He said he had spoken to several teams, including New York Giants head coach Brian Daboll and Minnesota Vikings coach Kevin O'Connell, whom he is in regular contact with. "I'm open to anything and attached to nothing. Retirement could still be a possibility, but right now my focus is and has been and will continue to be on my personal life … there's still conversations that are being had." Ultimately, the veteran NFL quarterback decided Pittsburgh would be where he would play his 21st season. Rodgers' arrival solves the Steelers' quarterback problems – at least for now – after Russell Wilson and Justin Fields both signed with New York Teams. Now Rodgers will battle Mason Rudolph, who signed a two-year contract in March, for the starting position. Follow Fox News Digital's sports coverage on X, and subscribe to the Fox News Sports Huddle newsletter.
