Hamtramck political activist is charged with sexual assault: Update

Community activist Ibrahim Aljahim has been charged with two counts of sexual assault.

Update: (Oct. 3, 2019) — As we were going to press Thursday, the Arab American News had an update on accused sexual assault suspect Ibrahim Aljahim, 37, of Hamtramck.
He was ordered by Hamtramck 31st District Court Judge Alexis Krot to wear an electronic tether during a probable cause hearing held on Oct. 3.
(The Review was unable to attend the hearing because it was preparing to go to press.)
Aljahim, a well-known community activist who is politically connected with local, state and national politicians, is accused of two counts of first-degree sexual assault on an 18-year-old male special education student at Oakland International Academy, located at Florian St.
He has pleaded not guilty to the charge.
Aljahim, a Yemeni-American, was a community liaison officer at the school. He has since been fired by the school.
According to the Arab American News, the Wayne County Prosecutor’s Office said Aljahim posed a flight risk, and requested an increase in his bond, but Krot declined the request.
Aljahim previously posted a $1,000 bond, and was told not to have any contact with the alleged victim or any witnesses.
(He was arraigned in Romulus on a Sunday when the Hamtramck District Court is closed. The Romulus court said Aljahim only had to post 10 percent of a $10,000 bond.)
The prosecutor questioned whether Aljahim is a US citizen. His attorney said that he is. That answer appeared to satisfy Judge Krot. The prosecutor also reportedly said that there might be two or three more victims or witnesses, all under the age of 16.
A preliminary examination is still scheduled for Oct. 10 in Hamtramck 31st District Court.

You can read more here:

New revelations in Ibrahim Aljahim sexual assault case, judge orders tether

By Charles Sercombe
A community activist and politically-connected Hamtramck man is charged with sexually assaulting an 18-year-old male student.
On Wednesday, the Hamtramck Police Department issued a press release saying that Ibrahim Aljahim, 37, is charged with two counts of criminal sexual conduct in the first degree. The department did not identify whether the victim was male or female, but the Wayne County Prosecutor’s office issued its own statement and identified the alleged victim as a male.
Media reports say that it involved a special education male from Oakland International Academy who was taken out of school, and then got into a car that Aljahim was in and was forced to perform a sex act.
Aljahim is a Community Liaison Officer at the school, located at Latham and Florian.
In the police department’s press release, Police Chief Anne Moise said “further facts and evidence will be presented in court at that time.”
The police department initially misspelled Aljahim’s last name in its press release as Algahim.
He was arrested Sunday, and arraigned via video through the 34th District Court in Romulus. (He was not arraigned in Hamtramck 31st District Court because the court does not conduct business on the weekends.) Aljahim posted a $1,000 bond to be released.
He also had to turn in his passport and was warned not to contact the victim or witnesses.
Oakland International Academy Larry Cowger issued a letter to the parents of the students saying that Aljahim is no longer associated with the school.
A preliminary examination is scheduled for Oct. 10 at the Hamtramck 31st District Court.
Aljahim can waive his right to the examination, in which case the matter will be heard in Wayne County Circuit Court.
If the examination takes place, it is like a mini-trial, where evidence is presented and testimony can take place.
Aljahim, a Yemeni-American, has been involved in local politics, and has hobnobbed with state and national elected officials and candidates.
He has previously identified himself as both a Republican and a Democrat when interviewed by The Review. Hamtramck has been a Democratic stronghold for decades.
In the 2012 presidential election, he told The Review he voted for Republican candidate Mitt Romney.
Asked why he voted for Romney, he said it was because “we need a businessman in the White House.”
The Review reached out to him for comment via his Facebook page, but as of Thursday, when we went to press, he had not yet responded.
He has also not responded to other media outlets.
On Aljahim’s Facebook page, he lists the following occupations and background information: Public Relations Coordinator at Yemen Sanaa, Community Liaison Officer at Oakland International Academy Hamtramck, Public Relations Officer at the American Human Rights Council, political and business consultant, and he studied criminal law at Wayne County Community College.
He also says he is from Madinah, Yemen.
Aljahim caused a stir in Hamtramck in 2015, when after a Hamtramck election that established a majority Muslim council, he was recorded at a rally saying: “Today we show the Polish and everyone else.”

Sept. 27, 2019

This story was updated on Oct. 3, 2019.

12 Responses to Hamtramck political activist is charged with sexual assault: Update

  1. Anonymous

    September 27, 2019 at 11:48 pm

    I would worry about the victim and his family being put under tremendous threat and pressure not to cooperate. That’s how these influential criminals get away with murders. Authorities should pay close attention.

  2. Roadman

    September 27, 2019 at 11:56 pm

    According to the Third Judicial Circuit online Register of Actions http://www.3rdcc.org the arrest warrant request was filed in the 31st Judicial District Court in Hamtramck on Saturday, September 21st, 2019.

    It is unclear which judicial officer signed the warrant, although the identity of the assistant Wayne County prosecutor appears in the online Register of Actions.

    According to the City of Hamtramck government website, Ibrahim Aljahim appears as a current member of the city’s Human Relations Commission.

    It is unclear which Hamtramck P.D. officers may have investigated this incident.

  3. Tea Party Patriot

    September 28, 2019 at 3:12 pm

    Wow! All I can say is “wow”.

  4. Tea Party Patriot

    September 28, 2019 at 3:36 pm

    According to a “Click on Detroit” article, police reviewed security camera footage showing Aljahim leaving the building with the student. The article also details witness statements made to police.

    One questions how so much investigative information has looks to been divulged by authorities to the media when the Hamtramck Police Department is supposed to have internal rules preventing release of such information?

    According to that article, Aljahim’s arraignment occurred on Wednesday – not Sunday – as the Review article suggests, and if THAT is true then it is unclear why Aljahim was arraigned in Romulus as the district court in Hamtramck would have been open on that weekday.

  5. csercombe

    September 28, 2019 at 3:47 pm

    this is the hamtramck police department’s press release on the matter:

    PRESS RELEASE

    FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: CONTACT: PD Chief Anne Moise

    September 25, 2019 313.800.5281

    Criminal Sexual Conduct Arrest

    HAMTRAMCK, MI- On September 22, 2019 Ibrahim Aljahim was arraigned via video with the 34th District Court in Romulus on two counts of Criminal Sexual Conduct allegedly involving an 18 year old victim. It was reported to have occurred in the area of Florian and Latham Streets in the City of Hamtramck. He was released after posting a $10,000-10% bond. The preliminary examination is scheduled for October 10, 2019 at the 31st District Court in Hamtramck. Further facts and evidence will be presented in court at that time.

  6. Tea Party Patriot

    September 28, 2019 at 4:08 pm

    Chip:

    Thanks for the full text of the press release.

    Also, a recent MSN article quotes an e-mail sent by the school to parents that it was “unconfirmed” that the incident occurred on “school property”. That article notes that this assertion seems to contradict a press release by the Wayne County Prosecutor that the incident DID occur on school property.

    I can understand why the Oakland International Academy administration may not want to have the incident described as happening on School property – but there is supposed to be a videotape of the incident that should resolve this issue.

  7. Dennis Nowak

    September 29, 2019 at 5:45 pm

    The Hamtramck Police should be congratulated for their fine work on this case. This is another example of how valuable they are in protecting the public.

    There are still many questions that need to be answered – especially the actions of the staff at the Oakland International Academy.

    There are media reports that parents of students at the academy were not notified via letter until a week after becoming aware of this incident despite the fact that the suspect that was arrested had already been bailed out of custody days earlier.

    How does a staff member leave with a student without any other staff member noticing? What exactly does a “community liaison officer” do at that academy?

    The criminal suspect – even after being charged – is continuing to post on his Facebook page and even was seen at a recent Bernie Sanders event a few days ago.

    A special “thank you” to the Hamtramck Review for its detailed coverage of this criminal investigation and keep up the good work in addressing this important story.

  8. Anonymous

    October 2, 2019 at 8:19 am

    Very Very Sad, words cant explain how i feel right now for the young boy and his family.

  9. Anonymous

    October 29, 2019 at 12:31 am

    And what if he was innocent how will you replace the damage to this mans life ??? The news brings more bad then good but nobody want to open there eyes

  10. D Smedberg

    October 30, 2019 at 1:58 pm

  11. D Smedberg

    October 30, 2019 at 1:58 pm

  12. harold

    November 16, 2019 at 9:58 am

    This is pretty bad if true..and from what I’m learning..the judge know the gentleman in question..he helped her get elected..she should recuse herself .and have a change of venue..

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