Refugee-rights activists to stand trial

SYDNEY — On June 9, refugee-rights activist Sunil Menon was committed to stand trial in August on a charge of aiding and abetting an Iranian asylum seeker to make a false statement in the course of obtaining an Australian passport.

Rezai Mohsen escaped from Villawood detention centre in July 2001 and remained on the run in Australia for over two years. He then left for New Zealand, using an Australian passport bearing Menon's name. Mohsen is now living freely in Auckland while his application for asylum is considered by the New Zealand government.

On June 10, refugee-rights activist John Morris was committed to stand trial on October 31 charged with making a false statement in support of Iranian asylum seeker Roozbeh Kianpiur Atabaki's application for a New Zealand passport. Atabaki escaped from Woomera detention centre in March 2002. He used the New Zealand passport to travel to Canada in January 2004, and is now living freely in Vancouver while the Canadian government considers his asylum application.

Sarah Stephen

From Green Left Weekly, June 29, 2005.

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From GLW issue 631