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Facebook says deleting account of slain marine’s mother who criticised Joe Biden was a mistake

Shana Chappell is among several family members of the 13 troops killed in Afghanistan highly critical of the president

Justin Vallejo
New York
Tuesday 31 August 2021 22:31 BST
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President Biden Pays Respect to U.S. Service Members Killed in Afghanistan
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The mother of Kabul blast victim Kareem Nikoui has been unbanned from Instagram after the company said it had removed her account by accident.

Shana Chappell said her account was deleted after posting a tribute to her son followed by criticism of Joe Biden to Facebook, which owns Instagram.

In a statement to The Independent, a Facebook spokesperson confirmed the removal of her account but said it was a mistake.

“We express our deepest condolences to Ms Chappell and her family. Her tribute to her heroic son does not violate any of our policies,” the statement said.

“While the post was not removed, her account was incorrectly deleted and we have since restored it.”

Ms Chapple had said on Facebook that Instagram began flagging old content on her account after she posted the tribute to her son, but that her account was removed entirely after a post critical of Joe Biden.

“You deleted my account because my sons blood is on Biden’s hands!! 13 Heros blood is on Biden’s hands!!!!” she said on Facebook.

“The real reason they disabled my account is because of this post! And Facebook will come after me next!” she added.

In the post that Ms Chappel believes she was banned for, the grieving mother described her meeting with the president as she received her son’s body from Afghanistan on Sunday.

“Remember i am the one who stood 5 inches from your face and was letting you know i would never get to hug my son again, hear his laugh and then you tried to interrupt me and give me your own sob story,” she said in the post.

“You then said you just wanted me to know that you know how i feel and i let you know that you don’t know how i feel and you do not have the right to tell me you know how i feel! U then rolled your f*cking eyes in your head like you were annoyed with me,” she added.

Mr Biden’s behaviour at the dignified transfer has been heavily condemned by both grieving families and political opponents like Donald Trump.

Mr Biden’s supporters, meanwhile, have attempted to defend the president by suggesting there is no evidence he looked at his watch despite multiple eyewitness accounts saying he did so on multiple occasions beyond what was seemingly captured on video.

“Btw as my son and the rest of our fallen Heros were being taken off the plane yesterday i watched you disrespect us all 5 different times by checking your watch!!! What the f*ck was so important that you had to keep looking at your watch????” Ms Chappel wrote.

Facebook’s reversal on her Instagram removal came after criticism online that included California state senator and Navy veteran, Melissa Melendez.

“Shana Chappell, mother of Marine and American hero Kareem Nikoui killed in Kabul, has had her FB and Instagram accounts suspended for posts she made about her son,” she said.

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