The Federal Court has dismissed a habeas corpus appeal involving nine Internal Security Act (ISA) detainees suspected of involvement in terrorists activities.

The three-member bench comprising Chief Justice Ahmad Fairuz Sheikh Abdul Halim, Justice Siti Norma Yaakob and Abdul Hamid Mohamad ruled today that there was no merit in the grounds of the application.

The appellants were Ahmad Yani Ismail, Abdul Samad Shukri, Mohd Sha Sarijan, Abdullah Minyak Silam, Nordin Ahmad, Mat Sah Mohd Satray, Abdul Murad Sudin, Abdullah Mohamed Noor and Shamsuddin Sulaiman .

Alleged to be involved with regional terror group Jemaah Islamiah, they were detained in 2001 and 2002.

Another detainee, Abdul Razak Baharudin, who had been released on Nov 11 withdrew his appeal today.

( 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.)

Application overruled

Earlier, the court overruled an application by DPP Hanafiah Zakaria to dismiss the appeal as the detention orders for the detainees except for Abdullah Mohamed Noor have been extended for another two years.

Defence counsel Edmund Bon, assisted by Amer Hamzah, said the appeal was still relevant as it involves issues of public importance. They argued that the court has discretion to hear the appeal.

On Feb 20 last year, Kuala Lumpur High Court judge Heliliah Mohd Yusof had dismissed the case involving Ahmad Sani and Abdul Samad.

Three days earlier, Kuala Lumpur High Court judge Abdul Kadir Musa had dismissed a case brought by the other eight detainees.

On July 5 last year, the Federal Court postponed the habeas corpus hearing and on Monday, fixed the hearing for today.