17 September 2004

Release Zaoui now!

Green Co-Leader Rod Donald says that, following today's Court of Appeal decision, the Government should release Ahmed Zaoui from prison and allow him to live at the Mangere Refugee Centre.

The Court of Appeal has this afternoon delivered a split decision that Zaoui's detention is legal, but has judged that the Government has the power to change the relevant regulations and allow the Algerian refugee to be detained outside prison.

"The Government should take heed of the Court of Appeal's view that it has the power to change its own rules and start treating Ahmed Zaoui as the refugee he has officially been since August 2003.

"The Government has run out of excuses and must now show some humanity towards this former Algerian MP, who has been locked up for 21 months despite not being charged with any crime," said Mr Donald.

ENDS

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