Return of the falsely accused
ESPITE being accused of having links with Islamic terrorist organisations, including the Islamic State and al-Qaeda , and spending over a year at a maximum security military prison in Saudi Arabia, Waseeullah Desai is prepared to return to the desert country on pilgrimage – but only after his sister is freed.
Desai, 25, of Port Elizabeth, who returned to South Africa two weeks ago after spending one year and two months at prisons in Medina and Jeddah, said his “heart is still there”.
Three months earlier, his sister, Huda, 33, and brother, Waliyullah, 28, who were accused of having similar links to terrorist groups, were released from Zahban Military Prison.
Their other sister, Yumna, 27, is still detained under the country’s Security Act and, according to Desai, will be released soon.
The three vehemently denied links with extremist groups.
They were in the country for study and work purposes.
Huda and Yumna worked as English teachers and Waliyullah was studying toward a bachelor’s degree in comparative religion.
Desai was pursuing a bachelor’s degree in the study of Prophet Muhammad sayings.
Like his brother, he was unable to complete his studies but since returning home, has started communicating with officials at the Islamic University of Madinah to complete his final examinations.
“It’s good to be back but we are still concerned about Yumna. We were told she would be released soon, but we don’t know when,” Desai told POST.
“When she is freed, I will return to Saudi Arabia to go on pilgrimage. My heart is still there. I have contacted the Saudi Arabian ambassador and he has given me the green light.”
When POST spoke to Huda on her arrival home, she too wanted to return to Saudi Arabia to prove she was innocent.
She and Desai said police had revealed someone had filed a false report against them.
Desai recounted his ordeal and imprisonment.
“I went to Saudi Arabia in mid-2012 to study and lived in a dormitory with my brother. On the morning of November 22, 2015, we got up and went out to perform our morning prayer. Everything was normal.
“When we returned, we started packing our bags to get ready for classes. We then sat down for breakfast and heard a knock at the door at around 7.10am.
“There were more than 100 masked Saudi task team soldiers with machine guns and grenades. A senior, a general in civilian clothing, said they were from the Interior Ministry and wanted to search our room.
“When we asked what this was about, he refused to say anything. We handed over our residency permits and they ended up confiscating our electronic equipment.
“About 25 minutes later, we were instructed to go with them. They refused to say to where, only that we needed to speak to an investigating officer.
“When we left the building, several dozen other armed soldiers were outside, including snipers on the roofs,” said Desai. They were taken to a temporary holding prison in Medina.
Here, they were handcuffed, blindfolded and their feet shackled. The brothers were also separated.
“We were not involved with political groups, so the only thing that came to mind was that somebody had falsely reported us to the police.”
He had no idea their sisters had also been detained.
Two hours later an investigating officer accused him of being involved in extremist activities with the IS and alQaeda.
“I asked him to present the proof but he said information was confidential and would come up in court. I was given a statement paper where I wrote that I was not involved in terrorism activities.”
Desai did not go home that night as hoped. He was instead placed in an small, untidy individual holding cell with an old blanket, a basic toilet facility and no shower.
He was not allowed to call his parents or sisters and remained at the Medina prison for three days.
He was then placed in a mobile cell, handcuffed, blindfolded and shackled before being driven to a new facility – Zahban Military Prison in Jeddah.
On the 13th day, he was allowed to call the South African consulate in Saudi Arabia.
“A woman told me my father had already contacted their offices and they were looking for us and our sisters.”
The South African consul general, he said, was only permitted to visit him on day 45 of his incarceration. On day 53, he was removed from solitary confinement and taken to a group cell where he was reunited with his brother. They shared the cell with eight other inmates.
On the 67th day, they were allowed to see their sisters, who were in the female section of the military prison. “It was very emotional.”
Afterwards, they were allowed to call their parents and visit each other twice a month.
“After six months, the investigating officer said we would be released. Someone had opened a false report against us,” said Desai.
Two days before I was released, my mother and sister, Yumna, were allowed to visit.
“Yet again, it was very emotional because there was no word on when she would be released.”
He said when he finally boarded a plane, the biggest surprise happened.
“I saw a woman in a hijab enter and realised it was my mother. We had no idea we would be on the same flight. We hugged and arranged to sit together. When we arrived in PE over 100 people welcomed me.”