The Malaysian Bar - 'We acted on Saudi govt request to send him back'

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'We acted on Saudi govt request to send him back'

Wednesday, 15 February 2012 01:16pm

©The New Straits Times (Used by permission)

14 Feb 2012
by HARIZ MOHD AND JENNIFER GOMEZ

Home minister says Saudi journalist a wanted man in Riyadh

SUBANG JAYA: THE repatriation of newspaper columnist Mohd Najeeb Kashgari was decided after a request made by the Saudi Arabian government, said Home Minister Datuk Seri Hishammuddin Hussein.

In standing by his decision to repatriate Kashgari, Hishammuddin said the newspaper columnist was a Saudi Arabian who was wanted by his own country.

"There were claims that the request for Kashgari's repatriation was made by the Interpol, which is not true. The request was made by the Saudi Arabian government."

Hishammuddin said the decision was not a matter of government policy, but about a wanted person navigating the country's landscape.

"Repatriation is on a case-by-case basis. Not everyone we apprehend is sent back," he said, adding that he was standing by his decision despite criticisms from international rights groups.

"We will, however, not allow Malaysia to be perceived as a haven or transit point for terrorists, criminals and wanted persons. I will not compromise on this."

Hishammuddin was speaking to reporters after the launch of the International Conference on Principled Policing jointly organised by the Asian Strategy and Leadership Institute (Asli) and the police, at a hotel in Sunway here, yesterday.

Kashgari, 23, was nabbed at the Kuala Lumpur International Airport on Friday after arriving from Saudi Arabia. Reports said he was on transit here, on the way to New Zealand to seek asylum.

On Sunday about 1.30pm, the Kuala Lumpur High court had issued an injunction stopping the authorities from repatriating Kashgari. However, the columnist was already in the custody of Saudi Arabian officials who took him back in a private jet which took off from KLIA at 12.06pm.

He arrived in Riyadh on Sunday night and was immediately taken into custody. Kashgari is wanted in Saudi Arabia for allegedly insulting Prophet Muhammad in a series of tweets which he sent out during the Prophet's birthday celebrations last week.

Hishammuddin said allegations by several parties that the columnist would be executed if he was deported, was illogical.

Saudi Arabia's English daily, Arab News, claimed that Kashgari may face charges of blasphemy, a crime punishable by execution under the country's Syariah Law.

"This is a credible country we are talking about," said the home minister, who added that allegations that "Kashgari's blood would be in my hands", were baseless.

He urged the parties concerned not to politicise the issue.

Meanwhile, at the Kuala Lumpur High court yesterday, lawyers filed a habeas corpus application, seeking a court declaration to determine that Kashgari's detention and deportation were unlawful.

In his application, Kashgari named the Inspector-General of Police, Immigration Department director-general, the home minister and Malaysian government as respondents.

According to lawyer Muhammad Afiq Mohamad Noor, who is acting on behalf of Kashgari's family, the application would be heard by High Court judge Datuk Rohana Yusof today.

The applicant's friend, Asma Abdul Razak, in her sworn affidavit dated Feb 12, said Kashgari's detention was unlawful as the Malaysian government did not have an extradition treaty with Saudi Arabia. She also claimed that the apostasy charge against the applicant was not an offence under civil laws or Syariah in this country.

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