Zaoui's lawyers want to cross-examine SIS head

11.45am

The lawyers of Algerian asylum-seeker Ahmed Zaoui want the right to question the director of the Security Intelligence Service (SIS).

A preliminary hearing is to be held today in the High Court at Auckland at which the legal team for the exiled Algerian politician will argue for the right to put the SIS head on the stand next week.

Zaoui is the subject of a security risk certificate currently under review by Security Intelligence Service inspector-general Laurie Greig.

Meanwhile, Justice Greig has refused to allow Zaoui's lawyers to have a summary of the SIS case against Zaoui, which they say has made it impossible for them to construct a defence case.

At a court hearing on December 1, Zaoui's lawyers will argue that Mr Zaoui should be given a "meaningful summary" of the case against him and that the human rights dimension should be taken into account.

One of Zaoui's lawyers, Deborah Manning, said today they would use today's preliminary hearing to argue for greater weight to be given to human rights considerations.

"We have a few preliminary motions to argue -- whether or not the Human Rights Commission can intervene in the proceedings, and whether or not we can cross-examine the director of the SIS," she told NZPA

Justice Greig came under fire this week over an interview he gave to The Listener magazine, in which he spoke about the Zaoui case.

While the final decision on Zaoui was up to Immigration Minister Lianne Dalziel, if it was up to him, "it would be 'outski' on the next plane", he told the magazine.

Ms Manning declined to comment on Justice Greig's comments, nor on comments by Prime Minister Helen Clark that human rights considerations had to be balanced with national security interests.

Once Ms Dalziel receives Justice Greig's decision, she has three days to decide whether Zaoui should be removed from the country, despite winning refugee status.

His supporters say he is a peaceful former Algerian politician, while others have accused him of being a terrorist.

Another lawyer for Mr Zaoui, Richard McLeod, said Zaoui was "feeling apprehensive" about the upcoming High Court challenge.

"He has mixed feelings," Mr McLeod told National Radio today.

"He's looking forward to it, of course, but at the same time, the stakes for him are very high and he's feeling understandably apprehensive."

Mr Zaoui was also missing his wife and children, whom he had not seen for almost 12 months, he said.


- NZPA