12 December 2003

Press releas press release press release



Arrested Muslim says he was terrorised by police

One of the Muslims arrested in the recent wave of police raid across Britain
says that he and his family were terrorised by police, who also insulted his
religion, reports The Muslim News exclusively.

In a written testimony obtained by The Muslim News, the 29-year old British
Muslim of Pakistani descent gives a harrowing tale of being allegedly tortured
after some 15 armed police officers dressed in riot gear broke down his front
door in south London in the early hours of December 2 at 5 am. “The account
below was my reward for being ‘British’ and obeying the law of the land for my
entire life,” he said.

In an exclusive interview with the paper, he and his wife also confirmed that
immediately after his house was raided that he was allegedly continually beaten
by six or seven officers in his bedroom. “Within the space of a few seconds,
they must have hit me about 30 times on my head and 20 times on the rest of the
body.” It was only after the initial assault, he said that he was asked to
confirm his name and then told he was under arrest under the Terrorism Act 2000,
accused of the Commission, Preparation or Instigation of an Act or Acts of
Terror. He subsequently learnt that not only him but also his wife, who is a
teacher, was handcuffed even though her name was not on the warrant.

It was when he was eventually taken downstairs that he was mocked for being a
Muslim, when he was made to kneel in a prostate position. “They then all began
to laugh at me whilst I was in that position and say, ‘Where is your God now?
Pray to Him! You’re in prayer now!’ They were sneering and laughing.” His
beatings continued while he was made to lie down when he was being taken in a
van to Charing Cross police station.

His lawyers have both video and still footage of his injuries taken on the day
of his arrest. A detailed report from an independent doctor within 48 hours also
confirmed such injuries as “severe bruising” to the whole body, especially the
head, wrist, face, knees and legs, black eye and cuts, a possible perforated
ear-drum with visible blood inside the canal, bruising to kidneys which gave
traces of blood in urine for three days after the assault, possibly fractured
cheek bone and possibly fractured ribs. Spokesperson of the Metropolitan Police
Special Forces told The Muslim News, “A formel complaint has been received and
it is being considered.”

The Muslim News has also learnt that the wife of his brother, who was arrested
at the same time, had a miscarriage while her husband was being held. She was
six weeks pregnant and her brother-in-law said that she was so traumatised at
the arrest of her husband, during which she and her two young children,
including one 18 months old, were kept in a van at the time of arrest. She later
bled profusely and lost her baby within days.

Full report in this month’s The Muslims News.
Please acknowledge The Muslim News when using information from this press
release.

The Muslim News
P.O. Box 380
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Middlesex
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United Kingdom

Tel: +44 (0)20 8863 8586
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Website:  http://www.muslimnews.co.uk/