Pressure continues on Government over David Hicks
21/04/2007
200 people turned up in the rain in Melbourne as part of a national day of protest to Free David Hicks. Speakers included Senator Bob Brown, Martin Kingham from the Construction Union and Terry Hicks, who said "'The problem we have with this government at the moment is what rights do we as Australians have? Under this government we have none. They've stripped us of our human rights .."
Liz Thompson raised "... a question that really need to be asked is why it is that the full force of the state - snatch squads, federal police, anti-terror units - have been deployed against the G20 protesters, when Paul Wolfowitz, architect of the Iraq invasion, a man against whom a million Australians and millions more around the globe protested, got a special invitation [to the G20 forum]." Full Story with Audio reports | Video report
Fair Go for David |
Petition to fire Paul Wolfowitz
Hicks Determined to Fight Charges
05/03/2007
David Hicks, "an Australian son abandoned by the nation and his government has decided to fight the fabricated charges brought against him by the criminal Bush regime." reports the Cleaves Editorial team. Hicks has rejected a plea bargain. Major Michael Mori has called for the Howard Government to challenge the charge of 'providing material support of terrorism'. "It's a made-up charge, it has a really impressive name, but it never existed in the law of war, in any of the US law of war manuals, or in any Australian law of war manual," he said.
On 26 February Lawyers for David Hicks fronted the Federal Court in the ongoing case against the Commonwealth for failing to protect an Australian citizen abroad. Justice Brian Tamblin reserved his decision citing the complexity of the case.
Friday vigils in Melbourne continue to garner support for David Hicks, with speakers including Tasneem Chopra of the Islamic Women's Welfare Council of Victoria , Monash law lecturer Patrick Emerton, Rod Quantock and a relative of one of the Barwon 13, and Terry Hicks. The 2007 Gay and Lesbian Mardi Gras in Sydney featured a 'Love Justice - Bring David Hicks Home' float.
Fair go for David |
Bring David Hicks Home |
Civil Rights Defence
Ruddock places Curfew on Jack Thomas
28/08/2006
Jack Thomas, recently acquitted of terrorism charges by the Victorian Appeals Court, has had a control order placed on him by the Australian Federal Police. Les Thomas from Civil Rights Defence, expressed his outrage at the decision to serve his brother Jack Thomas with a control order, despite the Appeal Court quashing charges against him. "My brother is being persecuted,’ said Les Thomas. ‘Jack was trying to recover from his ordeal by spending time on the beach with his wife and family when the AFP dropped this new bombshell. He has had to return home and has been told he must report to a police station daily."
"Anyone who cares about civil liberties should be outraged at this decision," he said. This is the first use of a control under the new anti-terrorist laws. The order was signed off by Attorney-General Philip Ruddock and issued by a magistrate on Sunday. [Full Story]
Civil Rights Defence |
Justice for Jack |
The Torture of Jack Thomas |
Greens condemn control orders
Supreme Court Quashes Thomas Conviction
18/08/2006
The first person found guilty under Australia's new counter-terrorism
laws has won his appeal against his conviction. The Court of Appeal in
Melbourne has quashed Joseph Terrence Thomas' conviction in the Supreme
Court in February, when he was jailed for five years, with a two-year
minimum. Victorian Court of Appeal Justices Chris Maxwell, Frank Vincent
and Peter Buchanan quashed the convictions, saying the evidence used to
find Thomas guilty was inadmissible. [ Full
story]
Civil Rights Defence |
Justice for Jack |
Event 20/8: Oppose the Unjust Terror Laws - Bus Ride to
Barwon
Civil Liberties Protest at 'Terror Hearing'
15/06/2006
Thirteen Melbourne men accused of terror offences are being held on
remand in Guantanamo-style conditions at Barwon Prison, in spite of the
fact they have not yet been charged, let alone been found guilty of
planning or carrying out any terrorist act. A small number of activists
from Civil Rights Defence staged a
protest outside the County Court, to coincide with a committal
hearing for the men.
Civil Rights Defence |
Civil Rights Network
Government Shuts Down Political Web Site
1/04/2006
from the newswireOne week before the third
anniversary of the criminal invasion and occupation of
Iraq, the Australian government forced the closure of
a satirical web site that powerfully exposed several
key lies told by Prime Minister John Howard to justify
participation in the US-led war. [ Full Story]
[Propaganda Matrix |
Richard Neville
| The Speech that disappeared]
ASIO questions Australian Peace Activist
06/02/2006
Australian peace activist, Ciaron O'Reilly, was questioned by ASIO agents in Brisbane after he arrived on a flight from Ireland on 3 February. Ciaron is one of the Pit Stop Ploughshares defendants awaiting a third trial in Dublin, on July 5th, with no restrictions placed on travel to Australia. He was questioned on his plans in Australia, the civil disobedience that occured during the Shoalwater " Operation Talisman Sabre" joint U.S./OZ military exercises in 2005, and whether he planned to accompany his brother Sean to Alice Springs for his court date arising from his arrest following a peace demonstration at the CIA/NSA outback base at Pine Gap. [ Full Story]
It's not the first time ASIO has expressed interest in peace movement activists recently. In 2005 ASIO made an adverse security report on US peace activist, Scott Parkin, resulting in his deportation. Parkin has launched a Federal Court challenge to uncover the reasons for his treatment, as Attorney-General Phillip Ruddock has refused to divulge the contents of the adverse security assessment that led to Mr Parkin's removal from the country.
www.peaceontrial.com |
www.scottparkin.org
Police to get CCTV 'Big Brother' network
26/01/2006
from the newswire:
A close-circuit video camera in every bank, on every shop front, every shopping mall, every train station, every local government camera, any private business with a camera – from David Jones to the corner shop - centrally linked with live feeds to police command – not science fiction or a left-wing paranoia, but a reality in New South Wales. Victoria is sure to follow. [ Full Story]
Victorian Rights Charter- a cop out
21/12/2005
from the newswire
The recent announcement by the Victorian Labor party that Victoria may have a so called rights charter by 2007 is actually hogwash ....The Victorian proposal mirrors that of the ACT bill and the English Human Rights Act. Rights will not be enforceable by the people. It will just be a statement of principles out of reach by citizens. No doubt conservatives will jump for joy if it is accepted by the public as good enough , because nothing will change and it will be business as usual.
These sorts of false charters are designed to placate the public and lull them into a false sense of security about their rights and freedoms, but these rights will remain an illusion unless at a federal level a bill of rights is enshrined in our constitution and the word, and principles of democracy are actually written into it as well. [ More ]
Related Information::
Human Rights Vigil on 18 January
What can a Citizen Do when the State Declares War on its Citizens? by People for Constitutional Human Rights
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The campaign in support of David Hicks continued on Friday with a vigil outside the Department of Foreign Affairs in Melbourne. Those present heard from Lynne Alison on the recent report from the Law Council of Australia questioning the 
Protests across Australia marked the fifth anniversary of David Hicks's detention at Guantanamo Bay, with calls for the Federal Government to demand his repatriation to Australia. In Melbourne 
from the newswire
International 
