Faizel Patel, Radio Islam News – 29-06-2017
From defying forensically established facts to lying under oath, this is how human rights lawyer George Bizos described prosecutors during the first inquest into the death of anti-apartheid activist Ahmed Timol.
At the time of Timols death it was claimed the activist died after allegedly falling from a window on the 10th floor at the notorious John Forster Square police station in 1971.
The inquest into Timol’s death started this week, 45 years after his death.
Bizos has told the High Court in Johannesburg Timol was promised he would be released.
“The issue was why he would commit suicide? He was kept in custody for seventy odd days, he was promised that he would soon be released. He see his family and he’d told them that, but something happened after New Year.”
Bizos also testified the magistrate based his decision that Timol committed suicide on a document that allegedly came from the Communist Party which instructed members rather commit suicide than betray their comrades.”
He also says Magistrate de Villiers who agreed that Timol committed suicide in 1972, ignored pathology reports of two doctors who had said Timol sustained his injuries during his detention.
Bizos says it was normal at the time for police to choose doctors who’d back their claims.
The human right lawyer also remembered hearing Ahmed Timol’s mother ask security police about her son.
“Where is my son, are you treating him well? Please do not hit him. I am his mother. I never hit him.”
Bizos says the officer claimed it was Timol’s mothers who was to blame for his incarceration.
“It is your fault your son is in jail, because you didn’t hit him. If you had hit him he wouldn’t be what he is and by implication we hit him for what he is. They joked about it.”
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