Dr Haneef – now “legally” detained without trial

Dr Mohamed Haneef has been held for two weeks without charge while a cast of several hundred AFP officers tried their best to find some actual evidence of his involvement in the recent UK bombings at Glasgow airport.Dr Haneef was charged only late last week, with the truly desperate “crime” of “recklessly” providing “material support for terrorism” by giving his UK simcard to a cousin just before he left the UK last year.I just saw this article which reports that Dr Haneef’s visa has been cancelled by the Minister for Immigration after he was granted bail of $10,000 by a magistrate. This means that despite the flimsiness of the charge against him, he is now a continued “guest” of the federal government with his career in this country just about destroted and virtually no possibility of appeal against his predicament. While others in this position would no doubt be deported, he is almost certainly going to remain detained until some politically convenient time for the Howard government.The letters in today’s Sydney Morning Herald and Courier Mail show just how much contempt the public has for the Howard Government and the Australian Federal Police in this matter.Not only is this “reckless” charge tantamount to a thought crime, but the actions of the Minister for Immigration show just how far the Howard Government is prepared to go in order to prevent any possibility of a fair trial — let alone the presumption of innocence. Come to think of it, under Mr Howard’s 2004 anti-terror laws I don’t recall that there is a presumption of innocence. What a great way to get rid of your enemies, or to use for scapegoats.If I was still a resident of NSW then I’d be voting for James Purser in the Senate at the forthcoming Federal election. Assuming that it will still be held, of course.`Technorati`_ tags: topic:{Technorati}[James Purser], topic:{Technorati}[Dr Mohamed Haneef], topic:{Technorati}[Detention without trial], topic:{Technorati}[Illegal], topic:{Technorati}[Minister for Immigration]