Sarah Stephen, Sydney

On January 31, 47-year-old former Afghan diplomat Naqib Ahmed Noori was released from Villawood detention centre after six years and four months of imprisonment.

Noori, a former member of the People's Democratic Party of Afghanistan, fought a long battle against allegations that he was a member of the secret police under the Najibulla government and responsible for torturing Afghans.

At his fifth court hearing, in October, Noori finally won. The Administrative Appeals Tribunal found that it was a case of mistaken identity and that the claim that he was a war criminal — the immigration department's grounds for refusing Noori a protection visa — was wrong. The government did not appeal the decision.

The case against Noori was based on allegations by two anonymous Afghans centred on Noori's appearance and name. Mark Vincent, one of Noori's pro bono lawyers, described as “disgraceful” the thinness of the evidence the government used to deny Noori a visa.

Like most long-term detainees, Noori developed severe depression and suffered from suicidal thoughts. He could not sleep properly and lost weight, yet the government didn’t hurry to get him out of the environment that was making him so ill.

After winning his case, Noori's release was delayed for another four months while police and security checks on him were carried out. During that time, more than 2500 people signed a petition calling for his release. The petition was given to the immigration department in January.

Noori told the January 28 Sydney Morning Herald that he knew of no other country that would continue to lock up an asylum seeker who had won a final appeal. “My belief has changed about human rights in this country. I can't see any sign of human rights. The government knows I have a family of three young children and an ill wife ... [but] it still shamelessly keeps me in this detention centre.”

Long-term supporter of Noori Josephine Joore told Green Left Weekly: “I am very happy that he was finally released from that torturous place called Villawood. I grieve when I think what it has done to him, and his children and his wife. Post-traumatic problems will arise.

Noori is still in debt due to legal fees he incurred in his first court case.

From Green Left Weekly, February 8, 2006.
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