Kenyan Muslims oppose extradition of terror suspects

The Muslim community in Kenya has protested the extradition of July 11 Kampala terror suspects from Kenya to Uganda. The Muslim Human Rights Forum (MHRF), based in Kenya said in a statement yesterday that the suspects, who were recently arrested in Tanzania and taken to Kenya, should not be brought to Kampala for trial.

“MHRF) has learned with shock and dismay that Tanzania recently handed over two terrorism suspects to Kenya who are in turn in the process of handing them over to Uganda without any extradition proceedings taking place as the laws of the three countries require,” the statement said.

A number of Kenyan, Tanzania and Somalis are among the 30 terror suspects who are facing trial in Kampala for the twin bombings in Kyadondo and Kabalagala, which left 76 people dead.
The Coordinator of MHRF, Al-Amin Kimathi described the transfer of the suspects to Uganda as kidnapping and abuse of human rights.

“These disguised extraditions amount to kidnappings by security agencies of the three countries and are a violation of the suspects’ human rights, particularly their rights to fair trial,” he said.

The Police Spokesperson, Ms Judith Nabakooba declined to comment on the claims, saying they had put an injunction on the case. But sources within police said they were following the extradition proceeding.

“That’s not true because all the necessary steps were and are followed,” he said. Mr Kimani claims the suspects were illegally brought to Kampala for trial. “Idris Magondu, Hussein Hassan Agade, Mohamed Adan Abdow and Mohamed Hamid Suleiman are Kenyans also previously illegally taken out of the country without extradition proceedings to stand trial for the bombings in Uganda,” he said.

He blamed the Kenya government for handing over suspects without hesitation. “That Kenya is at the centre of all this after the promulgation of its new constitution,” he said.
Mr Kimani also claimed that the suspects have accused the American Federal Bureau of Intelligence (FBI) and Kenyan Anti-Terrorism Police Unit of interrogating them on issued unrelated to the terror attacks.

“Our information is that at least four of the accused have been interrogated by the Kenyan ATPU and the FBI, while in remand custody in Uganda, about issues totally unrelated to the bombings thus confirming our fears that these renditions have been more of an intelligence gathering exercise under the cover of investigations,” he said.