Lawyers of four of the 'Karachi 5' students have expressed their concern about the physical and mental conditions of their clients - who are held under the ISA - following a meeting with them yesterday at the Bukit Aman police headquarters. (One of the five did not seek legal assistance.)

"The students appear to have been mentally and emotionally disfigured by their continued detention since Sept 20, 2003. The persons we met on Nov 21 and Dec 4, 2003, are not the same persons we met yesterday," they said.

The lawyers claimed in a statement issued through Messrs Chooi & Company that the exertion of continuous interrogation by the authorities have 'turned over' the students in an almost complete mental and emotional transformation, institutionalisation and reliance on the police."

According to the statement, one of the students broke down and cried while denying his involvement in any terrorism-linked groups.

Despite this, the detainee told his lawyers that he nevertheless would just accept what his captors would tell him to say, do or agree to as he has lost all hope of gaining his freedom. The detainee also complained that the frequent interrogation by the authorities had "broke him down" as a person.

The lawyers also said another detainee however displayed lack of ability to decide but merely "accepting interdependence on the police and tacitly approving their action".

"Another student confirmed our suspicion that their detention was in many ways a political decision, motivated by what the authorities from the US wanted and they would only be released from detention by the authorities in Pakistan if they were detained under the ISA," the statement claimed.

Reveal location

The lawyers said they were "extremely disappointed" about the latest development and called on the government to reveal the location of the students as they are still held at an "unknown location".

They said the students have not been sent to the Kamunting detention centre, where ISA detainees are normally held. A letter sent to the police, home ministry and the attorney-general on Dec 24 pursuing the matter has yet to receive any response.

The lawyers also demanded that the students be counseled and examined by psychiatrists and psychologist on a continual and regular basis to ensure their mental well-being and emotional sanity.

"(We request) the government will cease from using its draconian powers under the ISA to detain the students but to charge them, if there in any evidence against them," the statement stressed.

The detainees were among the 13 Malaysian students arrested in Karachi, Pakistan on Sept 20 on suspicion of being involved in guerilla warfare training but were released and cleared later.

However they were arrested upon arrival in Kuala Lumpur on Nov 10 and held for investigations for alleged links with JI.

Eight were released later while the remaining five were slapped with a further two-year detention order under the ISA.