Thomas Yadegary, the Iranian immigrant facing indefinite detention without trial for refusing to cooperate in his own deportation to persecution and torture, has been granted a writ of Habeas Corpus and freed from prison. The judgement isn't available yet - the government is trying to have it suppressed - but it seems that the High Court followed the pointer from the Court of Appeal in Zaoui v Attorney-General [Habeas Corpus] and ruled that while initially lawful, the purpose of detention could not be fulfilled and it was therefore arbitrary. It's a victory for human rights - but at the same time rather shameful that we had to keep a man in prison for two and a half years before admitting that it was futile and freeing him.
I have no idea what this means for Yadegary's immigration status - that's a seperate battle. But he is no longer being detained without trial, and that is worth celebrating.
2 comments:
Hello,
Check out http://ministryoflove.wordpress.com to learn more about our ongoing Orwellian protest of the Military Commissions Act, under which hundreds of people are indefinitely detained.
Regards,
O'Brien
Posted by Comrade O'Brien : 4/08/2007 12:50:00 PM
From Aotearoa Indymedia (http://indymedia.org.nz/feature/display/71647/index.php):
"Yadegary could still face deportation, but for now has been freed on restrictive bail conditions which include a 7pm to 7am curfew and reporting to Police 3 times a week."
Posted by Asher : 4/08/2007 05:10:00 PM
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