MALAWI: LAWYERS OF FIVE SUSPECTED AL QAEDA MEMBERS HANDED OVER TO US AUTHORITES , DEMAND OFFICIAL CONFIRMATION OF THEIR WHEREABOUTS
Record ID:
647165
MALAWI: LAWYERS OF FIVE SUSPECTED AL QAEDA MEMBERS HANDED OVER TO US AUTHORITES , DEMAND OFFICIAL CONFIRMATION OF THEIR WHEREABOUTS
- Title: MALAWI: LAWYERS OF FIVE SUSPECTED AL QAEDA MEMBERS HANDED OVER TO US AUTHORITES , DEMAND OFFICIAL CONFIRMATION OF THEIR WHEREABOUTS
- Date: 25th June 2003
- Summary: (W5) BLANTYRE, MALAWI (JUNE 25, 2003) (REUTERS - ACCESS ALL) 1. SLV EXTERIOR OF HIGH COURT IN MALAWI 0.04 2. WIDE/ PAN OF MUSLIM COMMUNITY PROTESTING OUTSIDE COURT, SHOUTING SLOGANS AND DEMANDING TO KNOW WHERE U.S. AUTHORITIES HAVE TAKEN FIVE SUSPECTED AL-QAEDA MEMBERS 0.20 3. CLOSE OF PROTESTERS SITTING ON STEPS OF HIGH COURT 0.26 4. CLOSE OF NEWSPAPER HEADLINES 0.30 5. STILL PHOTOGRAPHS OF SUSPECTED AL-QAEDA MEMBER IBRAHIM HABACI IN NEWSPAPER 0.35 6. STILL PHOTOGRAPH OF SAHAD AL-BAHLI 0.39 7. STILLS PHOTO OF HABACI 0.44 8. SLV OF WIFE OF AL-QAEDA SUSPECT OUTSIDE COURT 0.49 9. SCU (SOUNDBITE) ELLAH ULASUM, SUSPECT'S WIFE, SAYING: "From the time they took him out of the house up to today, from this hour, I don't even know where he is, I don't know how he is, whether he is still alive or not (starts crying, wipes her tears with handkerchief)... it's about four years." 1.16 10. SLV OF LAWYERS OUTSIDE COURT 1.20 11. SCU (SOUNDBITE) (English) NOEL CHALAMANDA, SUSPECTS' LAWYER, SAYING: "Obviously, one of the things we may contemplate doing is to institute contempt of court proceedings, because that would definitely mean that they violated the order of court to bring them to court or have them released. So by deporting them, it means that they flagrantly violated that order." 1.40 12. SMV PROTESTERS STANDING OUTSIDE COURT 1.44 13. VARIOUS, , ELLAH ULASUM , WIFE OF SUSPECT SITTING AMONG PUBLIC OUTSIDE COURT, HOLDING CHILD ON HER LAP (3 SHOTS) 2.02 14. WIDE OF PROTESTERS PRAYING OUTSIDE COURT 2.18 Initials Script is copyright Reuters Limited. All rights reserved
- Embargoed: 10th July 2003 13:00
- Keywords:
- Location: BLANTYRE, MALAWI
- Country: Malawi
- Reuters ID: LVAT4J7JIKFXZ0ZYARZDXPWE4BJ
- Story Text: In Malawi, lawyers for five suspected al Qaeda members
handed over to U.S. authorities and flown out of the country
this week have demanded official confirmation of their
clients' whereabouts.
Malawi officials say five suspected al-Qaeda members
whom police arrested several days ago are now in U.S. custody
and have left the country - despite a judge's ruling that they
may not be deported.
Over 100 protesters gathered outside Malawi's High Court in
the commercial capital Blantyre on Wednesday (June 25)
demanding information about the five men's whereabouts.
Families and friends said the men were grabbed in
simultaneous raids between 2.00 am and 3.00 am on Saturday
(June 21) morning.
The suspects come from Turkey, Sudan, Saudi Arabia and
Kenya, and worked for Islamic community organizations.
The U.S. Embassy in Malawi has not commented on reports
that U.S. authorities took the five suspects to Zimbabwe
before flying them to another, unknown destination.
High Court Judge Healey Potani had ordered the state to
bring charges or release the suspects on bail by Wednesday.
When the deadline expired, Malawi's Director of Public
Prosecutions said the five terrorism suspects had already left
the country.
Their lawyer said the arrest of his clients and the
government's failure to tell them why they were being held
were unconstitutional.
Relatives said they had no information and were worried
about the fate of the five men.
Ellah Ulasum came to the court with her child, hoping to
find out more about her husband.
"From the time they took him out of the house up to today,
from this hour, I don't even know where he is, I don't know
how he is, whether he is still alive or not."
She could not hold back her tears.
Lawyers are launching various legal procedures.
"Obviously, one of the things we may contemplate doing is
to institute contempt of court proceedings, because that would
definitely mean that they violated the order of court to bring
them to court or have them released. So by deporting them, it
means that they flagrantly violated that order," said Noel
Chalamanda.
But for the time being, Ellah Ulasum and her child can
only wait, not knowing when she will see her husband again.
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