Malawi’s high court has barred the deportation of five foreigners suspected of belonging to the al-Qaeda terror network, their lawyer said on Monday.
Lawyer Shabir Latif said the five, all foreigners and Muslims, were arrested on Saturday morning when police invaded their homes in the Malawi commercial capital, Blantyre.
He said the five were blindfolded and questioned by police.
The court order barring their deportation was obtained late on Sunday, he said.
Judge Healey Potani said in his order the government should bring the five detainees — one Kenyan, one Sudanese, one Saudi and two Turkish nationals — to court within 48 hours or release them on bail.
He said the state must tell the five of their alleged offence under the laws of the country or any other international law.
Latif said he had obtained the court order because he suspected the government wanted to deport the five on Monday morning and hand them over to the US Central Intelligence Agency (CIA).
He accused the Malawi government of unconstitutional and unlawful conduct by violating his clients’ right to freedom of movement.
The five had been working in Malawi, running businesses and teaching at Islamic schools. – Sapa-AFP