The Human Rights Commission (Suhakam) today called on the police to allow family members and lawyers to visit the latest 14 alleged Muslim militants detained under the Internal Security Act.

The statement signed by commissioner Zainah Anwar said Suhakam was concerned that the government continues to use the ISA to detain those it deemed to be a threat to national security.

Suhakam reiterates its position that detention without trial constitutes a human rights violation and urge the police to charge those detained in an open court, said the statement, which was read out by commissioner Mehrun Siraj, at the commissions office this afternoon.

The commission was responding to a group of 50 odd people comprising of members from opposition Barisan Alternatif front, DAP and non-governmental organisations, who lodged a complaint on the arrest of Sejahratul Dursina @ Chomel Mohamad on Wednesday night.

Chomel is the wife of Yazid Sufaat, the alleged al-Qaeda operative who is now in Kamunting.

She is the first female political detainee to be arrested after the infamous 1987 Operasi Lallang , where 107 political and social activists were detained under the ISA for allegedly causing racial and religious tension.

Thirteen others were also arrested on Wednesday night for alleged involvement in Kumpulan Mujahiddin Malaysia (KMM), a suspected group of Muslim extremists seeking to topple the government through militant actions.

Since May last year, about 62 suspected Muslim terrorist have been detained under the ISA, a controversial law which allows for detention without trial.

Meanwhile, Mehrun assured the group that the commission will call on the police to allow the commissioners to visit the detainees, who are currently held in unidentified locations.

We have tried that (requesting to visit the detainees) before but were refused. We were only allowed to see the detainees after 60 days. But we shall try again as we are concerned about their whereabouts and location, she said.

Concerns for Chomels safety

Meanwhile, the groups present at the meeting today include human rights NGO Suaram, Abolish ISA Movement and the Womens Agenda for Change (WAC), who jointly said in a press statement that they were concerned that Chomel would be tortured or sexually abused.

The vulnerability of women detainees are indeed much higher. Recent reports show that rape in lock-ups are not isolated cases but common, said Keadilan women chief Fuzian Salleh.

We (Wanita Keadilan) do not believe that Chomel will be safe in detention under the ISA, she added.

Also present were Keadilan women leader Irene Fernandez, Karen Goh, Zuraida Kamaruddin, PRM youth secretary Latheefa Koya, PAS central committee member Dr Lo Lo Ghazali, WACs director Maria Chin Abdullah and ex-ISA detainee Irene Xavier.

Suri Hanim Mohamad, 34, who is Chomels sister, said detention under the ISA would worsen her sisters fragile health.

She also objected to the police arresting her sister late at night without waiting for an adult member of the family to arrive at the house to take care of her sisters four children, aged between two and 13.

Does Chomels arrest mean that other wives would be next, just because we are wives of the suspected terrorist? said Suri, whose husband Ahmad Yanni Ismail had also been detained under the ISA for a similar charge.