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December 12, 2003

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.

For further information contact us on 020 8863 8586 or 077 68 241 325. Please acknowledge The Muslim News when using the press release

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