PAS spiritual leader Nik Aziz Nik Mat's son and 12 other Internal Security Act (ISA) detainees filed their habeas corpus applications with the Shah Alam High Court today following the alleged failure of the authorities to keep their end of a bargain.

The 13, including Nik Adli, were among a group of ISA detainees who went on a 19-day hunger strike last month to protest their continued detention under the security law.

The strike was called off after Home Ministry officials, who met the detainees at the Kamunting detention camp, promised to review their case and produce a 'favourable' report.

'Firm verbal promise'

"The government failed to keep its promise and the detainees are extremely disappointed," said one of their lawyers Edmund Bon at a press conference in Kuala Lumpur.

"The lawyers were instructed to file the applications only when 'negotiations' (between the detainees and authorities) failed," he added.

According to the lawyer, the Home Ministry officials had made the 'firm verbal promise' during the meeting on March 11.

The 13 were arrested under the ISA between June and October 2001 for being allegedly involved in the Malaysian Mujahiddin Group or KMM.

The group has been accused of procuring firearms from Thailand, being involved in the slaying of politician Dr Joe Fernandez, ordering the killing of Muslim apostates and possessing explosive substance.

Habeas corpus

is a writ ordering prisoners to be brought before a court or judge to ascertain if there are any procedural defects which could render their detention unlawful.

Detainees misled

Meanwhile, Anti-ISA Movement or GMI chairperson Syed Ibrahim Syed Noh told the media conference that the detainees have been misled by 'false promises and misinformation'

"The special branch told them if you want to file habeas corpus (applications), certain things will happen to you, if you don't, you will be released once the detention period expires. These were all empty promises," he claimed.

He said the authorities failure to charge them in court after all these years proved that they had no evidence against the detainees.

Meanwhile, Syed Ibrahim revealed that one 'hunger striker' Md Rasid Ismail was released unconditionally late last month after he was diagnosed with tuberculosis .