Refugee supporter acquitted of passport charges

Sarah Stephen, Sydney

After the appearance of only two prosecution witnesses, the presiding judge in the trial of Sunil Menon, a university student charged with aiding and abetting an escaped asylum seeker to apply for an Australian passport, determined that there was insufficient evidence to support the charge and directed the jury to acquit Menon.

Three of the four people charged after federal police raids on the homes of refugee supporters in December have either been acquitted or had their charges dropped due to lack of evidence. The trial of high-school teacher and Refugee Action Coalition activist John Morris will begin on October 31.

From Green Left Weekly, August 24, 2005.

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From GLW issue 639