Zaoui supporters slam Dalziel claims

By CATHERINE MASTERS

Supporters of Ahmed Zaoui have hit back at Immigration Minister Lianne Dalziel's attempt to blame his lawyers for his long detention.

Asked how long the Algerian politician would remain behind bars, she accused his counsel of extending his 11 months in jail by making a baseless challenge in the High Court.

Mr Zaoui's lawyers have challenged rulings removing human rights considerations from a review of the national security certificate against him.

They have also challenged the Government's refusal to reveal the nature of the allegations against Mr Zaoui, saying he is fighting with his hands tied behind his back.

However, Ms Dalziel said yesterday: "If we as a country do not treat classified security information confidentially we simply won't receive it."

Mr Zaoui's lawyers knew that, she said, and were just seeking to delay a final decision. "The bottom line is that the case is being fought in the media because the lawyers know they have no right to access the classified security information."

Ms Dalziel said she had been put in a terrible position because she could not respond to all of the allegations as the critical information was not in the public arena.

One of Mr Zaoui's lawyers, Deborah Manning, said that at least the minister knew the allegations - more than her client did.

She said this was a test case, and Mr Zaoui had every right to use the legal options available to him such as going to the High Court.

"Mr Zaoui is a highly educated man, he is a professor, he is aware of the legal options available to him.

"The fact he has decided to go to the High Court knowing this could [prolong] his detention shows that he considers it absolutely necessary to do so in order to defend himself."

Green Party foreign affairs spokesman Keith Locke said Ms Dalziel's comments were outrageous.



Ms Dalziel was not available to talk to the Weekend Herald yesterday but issued a statement clarifying her comments about delaying tactics and the lawyers' selective use of media publicity to promote their case.

"In making these comments I also said that the Refugee Status Appeals Authority [which declared Mr Zaoui innocent] was delayed in its public release so that Mr Zaoui's lawyers could arrange an exclusive interview with the Sunday Star-Times.

"I want to make it clear that I did not intend to imply that the authority was in any way involved or influenced by media issues.

"At the time Mr Zaoui's lawyers had requested a delay, which was agreed to by all parties, in releasing the [authority's] decision publicly, so that the identity of individual witnesses could be removed from the decision.

"However, Mr Zaoui's supporters chose to capitalise on the time delay by allowing for the Sunday publication to publish its story ahead of the public release."

The National Council of Association of University Staff has written to the minister saying Mr Zaoui is an esteemed scholar and teacher and a democratically elected member of the Algerian Parliament and stands for a peaceful reconciliation between the parties and faiths in his conflict-ridden homeland.

Catholic and Anglican bishops have written to Prime Minister Helen Clark and Ms Dalziel expressing their "deep concern" and asking that Mr Zaoui receive the protection of the Refugee Convention.