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Next-of-kin at a loss for lack of information on arrested Lankan undergrad in Australia
Authorities in Sri Lanka and Australia are remaining tight-lipped about the arrest of undergraduate Kamer Nizamdeen (25), charged with a terrorism related offence by Australian authorities, leading to mounting frustration among his family and friends.
A family source who spoke to the Sunday Times yesterday said Mr Nizamdeen was given access to his Lawyer, but was allowed to meet Sri Lanka’s Consul General in Sydney only once to date. While the family is not in a position to speak to the media yet, regarding the matter, Kamer’s brother Kaliq has released two messages via social media up until yesterday, stressing that the family has no doubt Mr Nizamdeen was “framed” by, as yet unknown, persons.
Meanwhile, an online petition on the platform change.org, titled “Justice for Kamer” had almost reached its target of 15,000 signatures by last afternoon. The hashtag #justiceforkamer was also being used by his family, friends and supporters on social media to comment on the incident.
Australian authorities have so far, officially, not disclosed any further details, since an initial press conference by the Australian Federal Police and the New South Wales Police on August 31, the day after Mr Nizamdeen arrest. The main piece of evidence that Australian Police said, led to the arrest of Mr Nizamdeen, who was working as an IT contractor at the University of New South Wales (UNSW), is a notebook allegedly recovered by one of Mr Nizamdeen’s colleagues. According to Australian Police, the notebook allegedly contained a list of “symbolic” locations in Sydney, as well as names of individuals to be targeted in an alleged terror plot.
Police added that, from the documentation, they believe the suspect would affiliate with the Islamic State (ISIS) terrorist group.
Information subsequently leaked to several Australian media outlets, claimed that, among the names contained in the notebook as potential targets were former Australian Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull and former Foreign Affairs Minister Julie Bishop.
In his second message posted on Facebook late this week, to mark 7 days since his brother’s arrest, Kaliq stressed that the notebook at the centre of the investigation, had not been found in his brother’s possession but at his old workplace. “The handwriting in the notebook is also not Kamer’s,” Kaliq insisted.
Kaliq, however, stressed that, Kamer’s family “have full faith in the Australian Judiciary, as we believe that justice will eventually prevail, in a country which has a strict policy of Law and Order.”
Police Spokesman, Superintendent of Police (SP) Ruwan Gunasekara stated that, if Australian Police wanted to contact their counterparts in Sri Lanka, regarding their investigation into Mr Nizamdeen, they should do so through Sri Lanka’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs. Foreign Ministry officials, however, said they were not in a position to comment on the matter at this time.
The Australian High Commission (AHC) in Colombo, noted that a 25-year-old Sri Lankan national has been charged under section 101.5 of Australia’s Criminal Code Act 1995, with collecting or making a document which is connected with preparation for, the engagement of a person in, or assistance in a terrorist act. The maximum penalty for this offence is imprisonment for 15 years, said a statement issued by the AHC, in response to questions by the Sunday Times.
“Australia’s Crimes Act 1914 sets out a range of safeguards to protect the rights of a person who has been arrested for a Commonwealth offence (including a terrorism offence),” the AHC noted, adding that, “these safeguards include the right to communicate with a friend or relative, and a legal practitioner of the person’s choice. If the person is not an Australian citizen, they are afforded the right to communicate with the Consular office of the country of which the person is a citizen, before questioning commences, it further said.
The AHC also stressed that, under Australia’s justice system, the charges against a person are tested in a court of law by an independent judiciary, and the prosecution bears the onus of proving the offence beyond reasonable doubt.
“As this matter is now before the courts in Australia, it is not appropriate to comment further,” the AHC observed.