Scoop has an Ethical Paywall
Work smarter with a Pro licence Learn More
Parliament

Gordon Campbell | Parliament TV | Parliament Today | Video | Questions Of the Day | Search

 

Zaoui Backers Ignore Evidence


Zaoui Backers Ignore Evidence

"Advocates for Ahmed Zaoui, a convicted criminal in France and Belgium, continue to ignore damming evidence and decisions made by respected senior courts in modern western democracies," says National Party Immigration spokesman Wayne Mapp.

"Mr Zaoui's defenders are naive to dismiss decisions by the Belgium Court of Appeal and French Criminal Court.

"The fully argued judgment of the Belgium Court of Appeal is a superior court of a respected western democracy which understands the rule of law. Mr Zaoui's advocates - and especially the Refugee Status Appeal Authority, as a junior judicial body, should not dismiss the findings of a senior court.

"How would New Zealand react if a district court in Australia chose to ignore decisions made by New Zealand's Court of Appeal?

"Contrary to the RSSA, these European courts have made damming findings against Zaoui. The Belgium Court of Appeal heard from both the defendant and prosecution, unlike the RSSA.

The Belgium Court of Appeal made the following remarks: 'That the sentence on Zaoui must take account of the importance of the role played by him at the head of the association of criminals and its activities ... That Zaoui's life and activities thus appear to be surrounded by an unacceptably clandestine atmosphere which is incompatible with the official activities of FIS ... confer on Zaoui an undoubted prestige and a moral authority which have allowed him to assume the role of head or agent of the association that he commands and whose members gravitate around him.'

Advertisement - scroll to continue reading

Are you getting our free newsletter?

Subscribe to Scoop’s 'The Catch Up' our free weekly newsletter sent to your inbox every Monday with stories from across our network.

"All this is in addition to the clear criminal activity that Zaoui has committed in Belgium, France and now New Zealand through the repeated use of forged documents," says Dr Mapp

"These are lightly dismissed by the RSSA as the legitimate act of a refugee. But Zaoui has had a pattern of activity in a number of countries and all concluded he was a security risk. His repeated convictions in western democracies show a pattern of contempt for western law.

"If he were the genuine refugee he claims, why had he continued to engage in this illegal behaviour?

"Zaoui is clearly not the innocent refugee he claims and should not be allowed into New Zealand. If he doesn't like our prison system all he needs to do is choose to leave," Dr Mapp says.

© Scoop Media

Advertisement - scroll to continue reading
 
 
 
Parliament Headlines | Politics Headlines | Regional Headlines


Gordon Campbell: On The US Opposition To Mortgage Interest Deductibility For Landlords


Should landlords be able to deduct the interest on the loans they take out to bankroll their property speculation? The US Senate Budget Committee and Bloomberg News don't think this is a good idea, for reasons set out below. Regardless, our coalition government has been burning through a ton of political capital by giving landlords a huge $2.9 billion tax break via interest deductibility, while still preaching the need for austerity to the disabled, and to everyone else...
More


 
 

Government: Concerns Conveyed To China Over Cyber Activity
Foreign Minister Winston Peters has confirmed New Zealand’s concerns about cyber activity have been conveyed directly to the Chinese Government. “The Prime Minister and Minister Collins have expressed concerns today about malicious cyber activity... More

ALSO:


Government: GDP Decline Reinforces Government’s Fiscal Plan

Declining GDP for the December quarter reinforces the importance of restoring fiscal discipline to public spending and driving more economic growth, Finance Minister Nicola Willis says... More

ALSO:


Government: Humanitarian Support For Gaza & West Bank

Winston Peters has announced NZ is providing a further $5M to respond to the extreme humanitarian need in Gaza and the West Bank. “The impact of the Israel-Hamas conflict on civilians is absolutely appalling," he said... More


Government: New High Court Judge Appointed

Judith Collins has announced the appointment of Wellington Barrister Jason Scott McHerron as a High Court Judge. Justice McHerron graduated from the University of Otago with a BA in English Literature in 1994 and an LLB in 1996... More

 
 
 
 
 
 

LATEST HEADLINES

  • PARLIAMENT
  • POLITICS
  • REGIONAL
 
 

InfoPages News Channels


 
 
 
 

Join Our Free Newsletter

Subscribe to Scoop’s 'The Catch Up' our free weekly newsletter sent to your inbox every Monday with stories from across our network.