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Family of activist Imam Abdullah Haron seeks justice as re-opened inquest gets under way

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The re-opened inquest into the death of activist, Imam Abdullah Haron, is expected to get under way in the High Court in Cape Town on Monday.

Haron, a respected religious and political activist, was found dead in a police cell in September 1969 in Maitland after spending 123 days in detention.

His daughter, Fatima Haron-Masoet, says the inquest follows a request to the Justice Department and the National Prosecuting Authority.

“The perpetrators did a great injustice into the torture…into the death and killing of our father…and as a family, we have the right to know what exactly happened because when he came home after his death, he came home with 26 bruises on his body and there was an inquest in February of 1970 and the judge at that time said that there’s no reason that the state will take any responsibility in the matter, that he fell down a flight of stairs.”

The hearing will proceed on Monday in an open court before Judge Daniel Thulare.

The Inquest Court will hear evidence from witnesses including former detainees, pathologists and a trajectory and aeronautical engineer.

An in-loco is also expected to be held this week.

The report below is on the re-opened inquest into Imam Abdullah Haron’s death:

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