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Muhammad Saif-ur-Rehman Khan is a Pakistani citizen who was wrongly detained in
Chile Chile, officially the Republic of Chile, is a country in western South America. It is the southernmost country in the world and the closest to Antarctica, stretching along a narrow strip of land between the Andes, Andes Mountains and the Paci ...
on charges of terrorism, and later acquitted.


Background

Muhammad Saif-ur-Rehman Khan was born in 1982, in
Islamabad Islamabad (; , ; ) is the capital city of Pakistan. It is the country's tenth-most populous city with a population of over 1.1 million and is federally administered by the Pakistani government as part of the Islamabad Capital Territory. Bu ...
,
Pakistan Pakistan, officially the Islamic Republic of Pakistan, is a country in South Asia. It is the List of countries and dependencies by population, fifth-most populous country, with a population of over 241.5 million, having the Islam by country# ...
, where he spent most of his early life. After completing his
A-level The A-level (Advanced Level) is a subject-based qualification conferred as part of the General Certificate of Education, as well as a school leaving qualification offered by the educational bodies in the United Kingdom and the educational ...
s from the University College of Islamabad (UCI), he went on to complete a bachelor's degree from the
University of Punjab The University of the Punjab (UoP) is a public research university in Lahore, Punjab, Pakistan. Founded in 1882, its international influence has made it one of the most prestigious universities in South Asia; being the oldest and largest publ ...
in
Lahore Lahore ( ; ; ) is the capital and largest city of the Administrative units of Pakistan, Pakistani province of Punjab, Pakistan, Punjab. It is the List of cities in Pakistan by population, second-largest city in Pakistan, after Karachi, and ...
. He is said to have frequently toured the
United Kingdom The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, commonly known as the United Kingdom (UK) or Britain, is a country in Northwestern Europe, off the coast of European mainland, the continental mainland. It comprises England, Scotlan ...
(where he took part in amateur
fashion model A model is a person with a role either to display commercial products (notably fashion clothing in fashion shows) or to serve as an artist's model. Modelling ("modeling" in American English) entails using one's body to represent someone ...
ling) and the
United States The United States of America (USA), also known as the United States (U.S.) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It is a federal republic of 50 U.S. state, states and a federal capital district, Washington, D.C. The 48 ...
. Saif's college principal at UCI, Catalina Alliende, a
Chile Chile, officially the Republic of Chile, is a country in western South America. It is the southernmost country in the world and the closest to Antarctica, stretching along a narrow strip of land between the Andes, Andes Mountains and the Paci ...
an national who also happened to be the honorary
consul Consul (abbrev. ''cos.''; Latin plural ''consules'') was the title of one of the two chief magistrates of the Roman Republic, and subsequently also an important title under the Roman Empire. The title was used in other European city-states thro ...
of Chile in Islamabad, encouraged him to travel to Chile to learn the
Spanish language Spanish () or Castilian () is a Romance languages, Romance language of the Indo-European languages, Indo-European language family that evolved from the Vulgar Latin spoken on the Iberian Peninsula of Europe. Today, it is a world language, gl ...
at the eFronteras institute in Santiago and also to study
tourism Tourism is travel for pleasure, and the Commerce, commercial activity of providing and supporting such travel. World Tourism Organization, UN Tourism defines tourism more generally, in terms which go "beyond the common perception of tourism as ...
and
hospitality Hospitality is the relationship of a host towards a guest, wherein the host receives the guest with some amount of goodwill and welcome. This includes the reception and entertainment of guests, visitors, or strangers. Louis de Jaucourt, Louis, ...
. Upon his arrival, he enrolled in language courses and rented a room in a boarding house. On May 11, 2010, a U.S. official confirmed that Saif's name was on a terror watch list. However, there were no allegations leveled against him. Saif-ur-Rehman Khan was also not found to have any links with any illicit group. In May 2010, in an interview to media the Pakistani ambassador in Santiago, Chile stated that "Saif ur Rehman may have been framed". All suspicions were put to rest by the court in Santiago Chile that acquitted him and prosecutors dropped all charges against him. All along, Saif ur Rehman and his family claimed that the entire fiasco may have been a result of a "misunderstanding" stemming from mistaken identity.


Biography

On May 7, 2010, Saif was approached by three Americans while attending services at a
mosque A mosque ( ), also called a masjid ( ), is a place of worship for Muslims. The term usually refers to a covered building, but can be any place where Salah, Islamic prayers are performed; such as an outdoor courtyard. Originally, mosques were si ...
. Earlier that day, he had received a call from the U.S. Embassy in Santiago requesting that he come to the embassy for an identity check (it was later learnt that the purpose of the call-up was for letting him know his U.S. visa had been revoked). After informing the local Pakistani embassy, Saif proceeded towards the American embassy on May 10. When he was scanned while entering, traces of
TNT Troponin T (shortened TnT or TropT) is a part of the troponin complex, which are proteins integral to the contraction of skeletal and heart muscles. They are expressed in skeletal and cardiac myocytes. Troponin T binds to tropomyosin and helps ...
and
tetryl 2,4,6-Trinitrophenylmethylnitramine or tetryl ( C7 H5 N5 O8) is an explosive compound used to make detonators and explosive booster charges. Tetryl is a nitramine booster explosive, though its use has been largely superseded by RDX. Tetryl is a ...
were found in the documents and cell phone which he submitted at the reception. Some reports said residue was found on his body, but it was later determined that nothing had been found on his body, clothes and hands. While he was locked in the embassy building, hours before his official detention, Chilean police searched his apartment, finding no sign of any explosive residues. However, a second search later on the same day uncovered traces of tetryl on several items of clothing, a small suitcase and a laptop. The Chilean interior minister, Rodrigo Hinzpeter, declared the Pakistani student a "terrorist" before the investigations concluded. The controversial Chilean anti-terrorism law, which allows some bypass of
due process Due process of law is application by the state of all legal rules and principles pertaining to a case so all legal rights that are owed to a person are respected. Due process balances the power of law of the land and protects the individual p ...
, was invoked. The courts overturned this application of the law, thus releasing Khan after five days of detention.


Release

Upon his release, Muhammad Saif-ur-Rehman Khan gave a press conference where he pleaded his innocence. The investigations continued and prosecutors repeatedly requested more time from the courts. Meanwhile, the parents of the Pakistani student traveled to Santiago to accompany their son and aid in his legal defense.


Outcome

The investigation continued for more than 7 months. The U.S. Embassy in Santiago invoked
diplomatic immunity Diplomatic immunity is a principle of international law by which certain foreign government officials are recognized as having legal immunity from the jurisdiction of another country.
and refused to allow the embassy staff who handled his belongings to be questioned by the Chilean courts. The Pakistani student appeared in various television and news programs and affirmed his trust in the Chilean judiciary. Proceedings in late 2010 found that Khan was not guilty. Subsequently, the prosecutors dropped the charges against him amidst much media coverage. A coalition of friends and family of Saif ur Rehman launched an effective media campaign to dispel the misinformation that appeared in media especially in May 2010. His trial substantially brought Chile–Pakistan relations to the limelight. In his last TV interviews, he asked the government and the people behind this ordeal for an apology and got immense support from the human rights commission in the congress of Chile.


References


External links


Innocent Saif
{{Authority control 1982 births Living people Pakistani Muslims Chile–Pakistan relations Pakistani expatriates in Chile People from Islamabad People from Santiago, Chile University of the Punjab alumni