Hamza Kashgari, the Saudi journalist who was deported from Malaysia on Feb 12, was arrested by Malaysian immigration officers at the KL International Airport (KLIA) on the morning of the same day, according to an affidavit served on his local lawyers by the AG’s Chambers yesterday.

The affidavit attempts to set out the facts surrounding the deportation following the filing of a writ of habeas corpus for Hamza by lawyers from local NGO, Lawyers for Liberty, who had obtained the writ from a High Court judge on the afternoon of Feb 12.

Hamza had earlier fled his homeland and decamped to Malaysia of Feb 9 after allegedly tweeting messages held to be blasphemous of Islam. Saudi authorities were looking for him when he left the country.  

The affidavit by the AG’s Chambers was served on Hamza’s lawyers here in response to the habeas corpus motion they had obtained from High Court judge Rohana Yusof.

It said that an assistant director of immigration at KLIA, Suhaimi Abdullah, detained Hamza at 10.30am at the airport and handed him over to Saudi officials at 11.50am.

It went on to say that Hamza was put on Flight HZA4 at 12.13pm by the Saudi officials who had taken custody of him.

N Surendran, from the NGO acting for Hamza, told Malaysiakini today that based on the explanation given by Suhaimi, he will apply at the habeas corpus hearing before justice Rohana to cross-examine the immigration officer.

“We find the circumstances of Hamza’s deportation as set forth in the affidavit as raising more questions than answers,” said Surendran, who is a vice-president of PKR.

“We would like to ask him about it in court. As such, we shall file an application to have Suhaimi produced in court,” he said.

“There are several questions on the whole deportation of our client that have to be answered by the Home Ministry, the police and immigration,” added Surendran.

The motion is scheduled to be heard before the judge tomorrow.

Last-minute bid against deportation failed

On Feb 10, Home Minister Hishammuddin Hussein said in a statement that Hamza was arrested by police at KLIA on Feb 9 at the request of Saudi authorities for reportedly insulting Islam and Prophet Mohamed.

Bernama , in Feb 9 report, had quoted an Interpol source as saying that Hamzah was arrested by police on arrival at KLIA.

Lawyers acting for Hamza had obtained a habeas corpus writ from justice Rohana on the afternoon of Feb 12 before immediately serving it on the ministry, police and immigration. But they found they were too late - Hamza was already on the plane to Saudi Arabia.

Meanwhile, Hamza, who had deleted and recanted his allegedly blasphemous tweets before fleeing Saudi Arabia, is in now custody in his country awaiting trial on a charge that carries the death penalty.

Hamza is reputedly a member of a group of Saudi dissidents said to be sympathetic to the Arab Spring that had engulfed Islamic countries in North Africa and the Middle East from early last year.