(AFP) An associate of Nur Misuari today made a final appeal to Prime Minister Dr Mahathir Mohamad to set the Muslim leader free, saying all reasons for his detention were no longer valid.

"All Malaysian assumptions upon which his detention were based have either disappeared or shown to be non existent with unfolding events," Elly Pamatong, a US-based lawyer claiming to be Misuari's family counsel, said in a letter to Mahathir.

He said Malaysian police had found that Misuari (photo), charged by the Philippine government with rebellion, was not linked to any terrorist group, and that there were no other valid reasons for the former governor's detention.

Pamatong appealed to Mahathir to release Misuari "for the sake of his nine children, in the name of his supporters, and in the name of the millions of Muslims in (the) southern Philippines who look upon him as their best chance to live their own Islamic way of life.

All means exhausted

Pamatong later told AFP that he had now exhausted all means in a long campaign to have Misuari released.

"This is my last appeal, because I think the only person who can decide on this case is the Prime Minister," Pamatong said.

"I have said more than enough to convince him and I don't think any more letters will persuade him to release Misuari."

Misuari, 60, and six followers were arrested in Sabah on Nov 24 for illegal entry after fleeing a short-lived rebellion in the southern Philippines.

The attacks were launched to derail elections to choose his successor as governor of an impoverished Muslim self-rule area in the south, which he had held since his Moro National Liberation Front (MNLF) signed a peace pact with Manila in 1996.

Rebellion charges

Misuari's family believes he will not get a fair trial if he is deported back to the Philippines and has sought to have him tried in a third country.

But the Philippine government said yesterday it would seek to have Misuari returned this month.

A Filipino team composed of police, diplomats, justice and military officials has been formed to escort Misuari from Malaysia back to Manila to face the rebellion charges.

Mahathir has said Malaysia, which once provided sanctuary to the MNLF in the 1970s and 80s, would not hand Misuari over to a third country.