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SA pair want 'terror proof'
23/01/2007 21:56 - (SA)
Johannesburg - The lawyer for two South Africans accused of having links to al-Qaeda has asked the foreign affairs department to clarify reports of their proposed listing on the United Nations suspected terrorists' list.
Junaid Dockrat, a dentist from Mayfair, Johannesburg, and his cousin, Farhad Ahmed Dockrat, have been named by the United States government as terror suspects with links to Osama bin Laden's al-Qaeda and the deposed Taliban in Afghanistan.
Lawyer Shaheed Dollie said: "They are not on the list at the moment... the request (by the US government to the UN security council) to include them was made only on January 18."
Evidence must be supplied
In an urgent letter sent to the department of foreign affairs, he said his clients were "confident that there is no factual basis whatsoever which would justify their being listed on the so-called 'United Nations list of persons associated with al-Qaeda'."
According to procedures outlined in the letter, a US committee - consisting of members of the security council - would make a decision by consensus of its members based on a statement of case.
A statement of case would provide the basis for a proposed listing and would include findings and evidence of the men's alleged al-Qaeda associations and activities as well as supporting evidence and documents which could be supplied.
"Our clients cannot reasonably and fairly make any representations in any meaningful manner in the absence of the statement of case."
Under UN guidelines, they face the freezing of their assets and bank accounts, and prohibitions on worldwide trade and travel.
Dollie added that media hype and negative publicity surrounding the two men had affected their clients' "personal lives, traumatised their children and negatively impacted on their businesses".
He said he would be meeting with the men on Tuesday afternoon to decide whether they would continue to decline media interviews.
Meanwhile, Dollie confirmed reports that both Junaid, Farhad and their businesses had been under surveillance.
Waiting for minister
"They've been under surveillance for quite a while now," he said, adding that they were not sure who was monitoring them.
South African foreign affairs spokesman Ronnie Mamoepa said on Tuesday his department was still awaiting directives from Foreign Minister Nkosazana Dlamini-Zuma.
He said he had not heard yet about the letter from the Dockrat's lawyer to the department.
"The situation remains the same," he said.
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