Suspect Faces Multiple Charges for Disturbing Assault on Presidential Campaign Staffer

In a shocking incident captured on video, a 48-year-old Brooklyn woman has been arrested on hate crime charges following a vicious attack on a father and his toddler son. The assailant, identified as Hadasa Bozakkaravani, faces multiple charges, including assault, assault of a person under 11, reckless endangerment, aggravated harassment, and menacing.

The disturbing incident unfolded on November 7 at Edmonds Playground in Fort Greene, where Ashish Prashar, a 40-year-old presidential campaign staffer, was targeted. Prashar, a press secretary with a background working for prominent political figures, including former UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson, President Biden, and Barack Obama, was attacked for wearing a traditional black-and-white Arab scarf known as a keffiyeh.

Bozakkaravani allegedly confronted Prashar, hurling derogatory remarks and questioning his support for Hamas. The victim, who was at the basketball court with his 18-month-old son, recounted the assailant accusing him and his son of being terrorists and demanding they leave the area.

The confrontation escalated when Prashar attempted to de-escalate the situation by recording the incident on his cellphone. Instead, Bozakkaravani became more agitated, throwing her phone at the father and son. Subsequently, she launched a cup of hot coffee at Prashar, narrowly missing him but causing some minor injuries.

Community members quickly identified Bozakkaravani, leading to her arrest nearly two weeks after the incident. The suspect pleaded not guilty to all nine charges, including four hate crime counts. Despite the severity of the charges, she was released on her own recognizance, sparking concerns from Prashar about the potential risk to the community.

Prashar, who has been a vocal supporter of Palestinian rights, wore the keffiyeh as a gift from a Christian Palestinian more than a decade ago. He emphasized the need for healing in the community while expressing disappointment in the suspect’s release, stating that she “traumatized a whole community” and urging that everyone, including the assailant, needs to heal.