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AI calls on Government not to deport Dr Haneef

27 July 2007, 05:06PM

Amnesty International Australia is concerned about the future of Gold Coast doctor Mohammed Haneef, following this afternoon's decision to drop terrorism charges against him.

The Director of Public Prosecutions today dropped the charge of recklessly providing support to a terrorist organisation against Dr Haneef, after an extended detention unprecedented in Australian law.

In an unusual use of powers under the Migration Act, Minister Kevin Andrews revoked Dr Haneef's visa last week, only hours after he had been granted bail, on the basis of character assessment.

"We are calling on the Australian Government to ensure Dr Haneef is granted full and proper access to the courts and his lawyers to challenge this visa decision. This will mean not deporting him, or moving him to the Villawood Detention Centre in NSW, where he won't have proper access to his lawyers," says Amnesty International Australia's Nicole Bieske.

Dr Haneef has been held in custody since Monday 2 July - half of that time without charge.

"The experience has been nothing short of an assault on the human rights and freedoms of Dr Haneef. His case highlights the need for effective safeguards and for providing some type of recourse for people like Dr Haneef - such as a Human Rights Act."

"We have continually expressed concerns about the human rights implications of the Government's counter-terror legislation."

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