The wife of one of the Newclare twins arrested for their alleged involvement in a terror plot says cops disrespected the Quran on the day her husband and brother-in-law were taken into custody.
In a sworn affidavit before the Johannesburg Magistrate’s Court‚ Aadila Alben‚ 20‚ claims that the arrests of her husband‚ Tony-Lee Thulsie‚ and brother-in-law‚ Brandon-Lee Thulsie‚ were unlawful.
The 23-year-old brothers on Thursday launched an application in court to have their arrests and subsequent detentions declared unlawful‚ claiming they were carried out without arrest warrants. If they are successful‚ they may be released.
Alben gives a detailed account of the events of the arrest of Brandon-Lee in Newclare‚ west of Johannesburg‚ on July 9 in her statement.
She said that between 20 and 30 armed police officers descended on the home shared by Brandon-Lee and her mother-in-law‚ Wasiela Thulsie‚ at 06:30 while they were sleeping‚ which left the mother and son fearful.
“Ms Thulsie and Brandon-Lee were in their single bedroom at the time. They only have one bedroom which they share. They heard noises and they both thought that criminals were breaking into their home‚” she said.
Alben‚ who says she has since been forced to move out of the home she shared with Tony-Lee as a result of the conduct of the police during the raid‚ also claimed that the cops had disrespected the Quran.
“Whilst in the bedroom the police officers instructed Ms Thulsie to read the Quran and placed it on the bed. It is disrespectful to place a Quran on the bed where people sleep. It is a holy book.
“She informed them that she could not just read from it as it was a religious book which demanded respect. It is a requirement of the religion that one cannot touch the Holy Quran without having made ablution. Ms Thulsie was not in a state of ablution at the time.
“The policemen who were present started laughing at her … She felt hurt and insulted.”
Alben said that her mother-in-law had also been prevented from taking her medication.
“Ms Thulsie was initially prevented from taking her prescribed medicines and when she needed to use the toilet‚ she was escorted by a female police officer … which she found extremely degrading and humiliating.”
Alben and Tony-Lee’s Florida home‚ west of Johannesburg‚ was searched later that day.
The Thulsie twins face three counts of terrorism relating to their alleged attempts to travel to Syria to join Islamic State and alleged plans to attack US and Jewish interests in South Africa.
Their mother Wasiela has previously broken down in tears during their court appearances.
The case was postponed to Friday.
Cops disrespected Quran‚ says wife of terror plot accused
The wife of one of the Newclare twins arrested for their alleged involvement in a terror plot says cops disrespected the Quran on the day her husband and brother-in-law were taken into custody.
In a sworn affidavit before the Johannesburg Magistrate’s Court‚ Aadila Alben‚ 20‚ claims that the arrests of her husband‚ Tony-Lee Thulsie‚ and brother-in-law‚ Brandon-Lee Thulsie‚ were unlawful.
The 23-year-old brothers on Thursday launched an application in court to have their arrests and subsequent detentions declared unlawful‚ claiming they were carried out without arrest warrants. If they are successful‚ they may be released.
Alben gives a detailed account of the events of the arrest of Brandon-Lee in Newclare‚ west of Johannesburg‚ on July 9 in her statement.
She said that between 20 and 30 armed police officers descended on the home shared by Brandon-Lee and her mother-in-law‚ Wasiela Thulsie‚ at 06:30 while they were sleeping‚ which left the mother and son fearful.
“Ms Thulsie and Brandon-Lee were in their single bedroom at the time. They only have one bedroom which they share. They heard noises and they both thought that criminals were breaking into their home‚” she said.
Alben‚ who says she has since been forced to move out of the home she shared with Tony-Lee as a result of the conduct of the police during the raid‚ also claimed that the cops had disrespected the Quran.
“Whilst in the bedroom the police officers instructed Ms Thulsie to read the Quran and placed it on the bed. It is disrespectful to place a Quran on the bed where people sleep. It is a holy book.
“She informed them that she could not just read from it as it was a religious book which demanded respect. It is a requirement of the religion that one cannot touch the Holy Quran without having made ablution. Ms Thulsie was not in a state of ablution at the time.
“The policemen who were present started laughing at her … She felt hurt and insulted.”
Alben said that her mother-in-law had also been prevented from taking her medication.
“Ms Thulsie was initially prevented from taking her prescribed medicines and when she needed to use the toilet‚ she was escorted by a female police officer … which she found extremely degrading and humiliating.”
Alben and Tony-Lee’s Florida home‚ west of Johannesburg‚ was searched later that day.
The Thulsie twins face three counts of terrorism relating to their alleged attempts to travel to Syria to join Islamic State and alleged plans to attack US and Jewish interests in South Africa.
Their mother Wasiela has previously broken down in tears during their court appearances.
The case was postponed to Friday.
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