Greens' call to Rumsfeld in Adelaide: Return David

Greens' call to Rumsfeld in Adelaide: Return David Hicks

Australian Greens Senator Christine Milne, in Adelaide on the eve of the arrival of US Secretary of Defence Donald Rumsfeld, has called for the release from Guantanamo Bay of America's Australian prisoner David Hicks.

"While Prime Minister John Howard sees the US Military Commissions as the equal of Australia's judicial system, we do not," Senator Milne said.

"David Hicks should be released to face trial in Australia. We are not the 51st state of the USA.

"Secretary Rumsfeld's visit to Australia is the ideal time for the United States to announce David Hicks' repatriation. I am appalled that our own Prime Minister, unlike leaders of the UK, Turkey, Greece, Kuwait and many other countries, still thinks David Hicks should be tried in a foreign court."

Greens lead Upper House candidate for the March 2006 state election,

Mark Parnell, said there was increasing concern about the situation of David Hicks, with questions being raised in the USA about the constitutionality of the military commissions.

"In Australia, too, we have seen in recent days a federal government backbencher calling publicly for David Hicks to be brought home," Mr

Parnell said.

"As David approaches the start of his fifth year in detention, it's time to return him to Australia."

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