The late Imam Abdullah Haron did not fall down steps at a police station, but was tortured to death by the apartheid Security Branch, a new inquest ruled on Monday.

"The imam was a victim of torture by the Security Branch because the imam opposed apartheid," ruled Judge Daniel Thulare in the Western Cape High Court.

Thulare found that Haron suffered immensely at the hands of a criminal justice system that was complicit in his death in detention without trial. 

He found that the police, doctors and two out of four district surgeons in Cape Town lied about how Haron died and did not give him proper medical examination or treatment.

The findings of the 1970 inquest that he died of heart problems were overturned and the new inquest findings were referred to the National Prosecuting Authority for possible prosecution of any surviving state employees involved in Haron's death.  

His children were relieved by the outcome, and a round of applause broke out in the court.