Johannesburg – The trial of Islamic State-linked twins Tony-Lee and Brandon-Lee Thulsie was expected to start on Thursday after endless postponements dragged the case for five years.
Last week only the case was postponed twice due to the prosecutor’s ill health and the twins lawyers arguing that the matter should be heard in the regional court and not high court.
The twins have not set foot outside prison since their arrest in July 2016 during raids in Newclare and Azaadville.
The pair was arrested following allegations they were linked to the jihadist group Islamic State, the two have never stepped foot outside prison.
At some point during their many court appearances no one else was allowed in court expect the media who had to write their names in a notebook that was at a door and state who they work for.
While the twins fought to be released on bail just after their arrest, they abandoned ther efforts three months later.
However, they applied for bail again last year but it was denied. The State had argued if bail was granted, the twins might join Islamist insurgents fighting in northern Mozambique.
In their affidavit filed in support of his release on bail, Brandon-Lee said they were being held in single cells under circumstances that were not fit for human beings.
“We are effectively kept in isolation from other inmates… Our cells are extremely cold and dirty,” he said.
The brothers spoke about how their mother’s mental and physical health had deteriorated since their incarceration. They feared she might not recover unless they were released. They said their incarceration had also taken a toll on their sister and on their family as a whole.
Tony-Lee and Brandon-Lee, 27, are accused of planning to bomb the US embassy and Jewish institutions in South Africa.
Other institutions they allegedly targeted are the UK High Commission, the South Africa Zionist Federation, King David High School in Linksfield, Johannesburg, and arms manufacturer, Denel.
The State alleged the twins would also target individuals, among them cartoonist Zapiro, Jews who fought in Israel and returned to South Africa, Jewish South African investment banker Roy Topo and an unidentified gay imam.
The two were expected to appear at the South Gauteng High Court on Monday.
IOL