Australia Charges Doctor With Aiding Terrorist Group

[rakesh.sadaphule]

LONDON, July 13 — The authorities in Australia have charged an Indian doctor there in connection with the recent failed bombings in London and Glasgow, according to his lawyer.

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The Australian police arrested Dr. Mohammed Haneef on July 2 as he attempted to leave the country.
The doctor, Mohammed Haneef, has been charged with “intentionally providing resources” to a terrorist organization, which the authorities define as including two brothers, Dr. Sabeel Ahmed and Kafeel Ahmed, according to Mr. Haneef’s lawyer, Peter Russo, who spoke in a telephone interview from Brisbane. “Resources” refers to a SIM card, according to the charge sheet.

Mr. Ahmed was in the Jeep that was driven into the airport in Glasgow on June 30, and burst into flames. He is in critical condition in the hospital in Glasgow.

Dr. Ahmed was arrested in Liverpool on June 30, but has not been charged.

Dr. Haneef was detained by the Australian police after his SIM card was found in the possession of Sabeel Ahmed, according to an Australian police affidavit, which was provided to The New York Times. After being detained, Dr. Haneef voluntarily submitted to a six-hour taped interview. He said that he had given his SIM card to Dr. Ahmed one year ago, in July 2006, when he was leaving Britain, where he had been studying.

The charge does not name any terrorist organization, and does not say that Dr. Haneef knew he was giving his SIM card to any organization. He is charged with “being reckless as to whether the organization was a terrorist organization,” Mr. Russo said.

“It’s pretty distressing,” he added.

Dr. Haneef had been held without charges for 10 days. On Tuesday, the Australian police told the court they were going to seek an extension of the time that he could be held and questioned without charges. But on Friday, they withdrew the request, and Dr. Haneef had been expected to be released within 24 hours.

Dr. Haneef’s wife gave birth to a baby girl in late June, and Dr. Haneef was on his way home to Bangalore to see her when he was arrested at the Brisbane airport, his family said at the time.

He is due to appear in court on Saturday morning to answer the charge