Bangalore and Melbourne: The wife of the Indian doctor charged in the foiled terror plots in Britain maintained her husband was innocent and pleaded with the authorities to help free him, the Indian media reported on Sunday.
Muhammad Haneef, 27, was charged Saturday in Brisbane, Australia, with supporting a terrorist group by giving his mobile phone SIM card to his cousins, both of whom are also suspects in the London and Glasgow plots.
"I appeal to the prime minister and the defense minister to please, please help me out in this situation," said Arshiya Firdaus, according to the Sunday edition of the Hindustan Times. "Everyone knows that he is innocent."
"I had patience till now because I thought they would not charge him without reason," she said. "The charges are baseless and senseless," the paper quoted her as saying.
Australian police charged Haneef with providing support to the bomb plot by giving the SIM card to his cousins, Sabeel and Kafeel Ahmed when he left Britain for Australia in
September 2006.
Sabeel was charged Saturday with withholding information that could prevent an act of terrorism while Kafeel, who is believed to have set himself ablaze after crashing a Jeep
into the Glasgow airport, is in a Scottish hospital with critical burns.
In Melbourne, Australian Prime Minister John Howard and senior ministers rallied to defend Australia's tough anti-terrorism stance on Sunday, saying laws by which a man linked to the failed UK bombings was held for 12 days before being charged were essential to protect its citizens.
Prime Minister John Howard said the terrorism laws, introduced in 2004, were necessary "to the very last letter," and opened the door to possibly strengthening them.
Civil rights groups had protested over Haneef's detention without charge.
Police investigating the case at the weekend said they had had to sift through the equivalent of 36,000 four-drawer filing cabinets of material in electronic form.
Haneef's lawyer, Peter Russo, said Haneef was being treated unfairly under the tough laws because people charged with terrorism offences could only be granted bail in "exceptional circumstances," Australian Associated Press reported.
