'Naufer Moulavi' rejects all Easter allegations

Mohommadu Ibrahim Mohommadu Nawfer alias Naufer Moulavi, the main accused in the case filed against twenty-four defendants regarding the Easter Sunday terror attacks, stated yesterday (17) before the Colombo High Court that he did not deliver religious sermons in a manner that promoted terrorism or extremism, and that no evidence has been presented against him for conspiring or planning the Easter Sunday terror attacks.

Naufer Moulavi, the main accused in the case filed by the Attorney General against twenty-four defendants, facing 23,270 charges including conspiring and aiding and abetting the Easter Sunday terror attacks, presented his defense statement from the dock for nearly two hours yesterday evening.

He also stated that he had expressed his views against the activities of the ISIS terrorist organization through social media as well as through sermons.

The trial of this case is being heard before a three-member Colombo High Court judge panel comprising Navaratne Marasinghe, Ramanathan Kannan, and Sujeewa Nissanka.

The presentation of evidence by the prosecution in this lawsuit concluded last week, and thereafter, the court had ordered the commencement of the defendants' defense statements and defense evidence from today.

Accordingly, Naufer Moulavi, the first defendant in this case, presented his defense statement from the dock, stating,

“Your Honor… I have been accused in this case of conspiring with nine suicide bombers, including Zahran, Wasthun, Insab, and Ilham, who carried out the Easter attacks, to break national unity and escalate extremism and terrorism. I have also been accused of acting to disrupt national unity and reconciliation by delivering extremist and terrorist sermons. 940 charges have been filed against me in this case regarding these activities. I reject all these charges.”

Further presenting his defense statement, the defendant stated, “On the evening of the Easter Sunday terror attack, I was arrested by the police in Dambulla while I was on my way from Kekunagolla to my wife’s house in Kattankudy. Afterwards, I was handed over to the Criminal Investigation Department (CID). I was held under detention orders at the CID for about a year and a half. During that time, CID officers recorded several statements. The CID records statements in a peculiar way. First, statements are recorded. Then, signatures are obtained on printed documents containing the statements. I was assaulted while in CID custody. I complained about this when I was first presented before the judicial medical officer. The confession recorded by the CID from me is completely illegal. It was not a voluntary confession made by me. Apart from my name, Mohommadu Naufer, mentioned in that confession, everything else is false. I do not even know the officer named Vijitha Perera, who is said to have recorded that confession. I reject the allegations that I posted on Facebook in support of the ISIS terrorist organization. I never acted in support of that organization. I mentioned in my sermons that Muslims should not be involved in it.”

The defendant also presented facts before the court regarding his connections with Zahran Hashim, who is said to have been instrumental in the Easter Sunday terror attack.

“Your Honor… In 2005 and 2006, Zahran Hashim worked for an organization called 'Doorul Adhar'. Later, Zahran Hashim left that organization and created the National Thowheed Jama'ath (NTJ) organization. I was against that organization. Afterwards, I went to Qatar. While in Qatar, I was observing the activities of that organization. Zahran's NTJ organization was registered at the Kattankudy Divisional Secretariat. It operated with the aim of performing community services such as blood donation. In the period of 2015 and 2016, extremist activities against the Muslim community were unleashed. Muslim properties were attacked. Islamic places of worship were partially or fully damaged. Copies of the Holy Quran were burned. Pork was thrown into Muslim premises. A procession carrying a pig's effigy marched in the Kuliyapitiya area. All this happened in broad daylight, in front of the police and security forces. But neither the intelligence agencies nor the security forces took any steps to prevent them. I conducted a deep investigation into this. Therein, I understood that this was not an act of ordinary Sinhala people. It appeared to be the actions of a group of Buddhist extremists operating with state patronage. I also understood that there was a political hand with state patronage behind these actions. As an Islamic Moulavi, I thought that the Muslim community should be informed about this. I also thought that this situation arose because the Islamic people did not properly adhere to their religious practices.” Accordingly, the defendant stated that he carried out awareness programs in collaboration with the National Thowheed Jama'ath organization.

Further elaborating, the defendant stated, “From 2007 to 2017, I had no connection with Zahran Hashim. However, Zahran is married to a female relative of mine. That is how I knew Zahran. I also knew his brother Rilwan. But I have no connection to the Easter attacks.”

Further presenting his statement from the dock, the defendant said, “Your Honor… In this case, a person named 'Anas' gave evidence. He stated that I had declared that one should take up arms and fight during religious sermons called 'Bayan' held in Nuwara Eliya and Hambantota. He also stated that I preached about 'Jihad'. Your Honor… Jihad is a word used for 'every action done with difficulty'. Under that, there are two instances where an armed struggle can be waged. In the presence of a Muslim state, its ruler has the ability to launch an armed struggle to invade another area in the name of religion. The second instance is the ability to wage an armed struggle for self-defense. That is what I explained extensively in those sermons. However, this witness has given evidence by presenting only a selected part of that extensive sermon, claiming that I stated 'an armed struggle should be waged'. That is completely wrong. I did not express such an idea. When my lawyers cross-examined, the witness named Anas evaded answering. During my sermons, activities such as arms training, displaying the ISIS flag, taking the ISIS pledge (Bay'ah), and selecting suicide bombers and ordinary attackers did not occur,” he further stated.

Further presenting his defense statement before the court, the defendant stated,

“Your Honor… No evidence has been presented to the court that I conspired or planned the Easter attacks with Zahran Hashim, Rizwan, and other suicide bombers. When I was arrested, my mobile phone was also taken into police custody and investigations were conducted. However, no evidence related to that has been presented to the court. Although the police stated that Zahran Hashim provided me with a 9mm firearm in the Wattala area, no evidence confirming this was presented to the court. Similarly, the prosecution has failed to present any evidence that I had connections with suicide bombers like Zahran, Rilwan, Insab, and Ilham, who carried out the suicide bombings. During the period for which charges have been filed in this case, there was no national harmony in Sri Lanka anyway. If there was no harmony, how could I violate it? Your Honor. Accordingly, I request the court to acquit me of these charges,” stated defendant Naufer Moulavi, presenting his defense statement.

The Attorney General has filed this case before the three-member Colombo High Court judge panel against twenty-four defendants under 23,270 charges, including conspiring to launch and aiding and abetting the Easter Sunday terror attacks.