KEY POINTS:
Two of seven people arrested for trespass during a protest in support of Iranian asylum seeker Ali Panah were today granted bail when they appeared in court.
Bail conditions handed down in Auckland District Court for Tane Feary and Mengzhu Fu included staying at least 500m from the Mt Eden Remand Centre.
The pair, who pleaded not guilty, were remanded to reappear later this month.
Five others arrested after an incident at the centre last Friday are due to make their first appearances in court over the rest of the week.
Among them is protest leader Omar Hamed, who said he and the four others also intended to plead not guilty.
The seven arrested are members of the group Global Peace and Justice Auckland.
Mr Panah, 40, was yesterday released on bail indefinitely because of fears over his health after a hunger strike that had lasted more than 50 days.
Mr Panah went on hunger strike in protest over a decision to deport him to Iran, saying he feared for his safety as a converted Christian if he went back.
He had been detained at Mt Eden prison but was transferred to Auckland Hospital when his physical state weakened.
Mr Hamed said Mr Panah's release on bail - on condition that he stayed with Anglican vicar Clive Sperring and "resumes a normal diet under medical supervision" - was obviously good news.
"But there's still one Iranian Christian in the Mt Eden Remand Centre and we are going to keep campaigning," he said.
Amir Mohebbi was detained in March 2003 by order of a district court judge, but cannot be deported without proper travel documents.
The Iranian Embassy will not issue a passport unless Mr Mohebbi applies for one himself, and he has refused requests to sign the necessary forms.
- NZPA
