Islam Channel chief arrested in South Africa over terror claims

By IRNA,

London : The chief executive of Islam Channel, Britain’s most popular Muslim television station, has been arrested in South Africa and faces deportation to Tunisia over terrorism allegations.

Mohamed Ali Harrath, who is also an adviser to Scotland Yard’s Muslim Contact Unit, was detained after arriving at Tambo Airport in Johannesburg at the request of Tunisia under an Interpol Red Notice because of alleged activities in his homeland.

Islam Channel, which is watched by an estimated 59 percent of British Muslims as well as being beamed to 132 countries, accused Tunisia of “unlawful use” of the Interpol Red Notice System as a “part of an established process of harassment and intimidation.”

“Such intimidation tactics have been well documented by human rights organisations including Amnesty International and Human Rights Watch which have detailed a range of methods used to inconvenience and harass members or former members of the democratic opposition,” it said.

Before fleeing Tunisia, Harrath was a former opposition figure who co-founded the Tunisian Islamic Front in 1986. He was subsequently convicted in absentia of numerous criminal and terrorism-related offences including belonging to an unauthorised political party.

At Tunisia’s request, he has been on Interpol’s highest form of alert since 1992 but was allowed into Britain, where he was granted political protection in 1997 under the 1951 Geneva Convention.

A spokesman for Islam Channel told IRNA that a full High Court hearing on the case was due to be held on Wednesday on what he called a “shameful injustice against a person who has always stood up for democratic rights.”