Not a trial

If Amnesty International are going to comment on NZ issues, they should at least get some basic facts right.

Ahmed Zaoui is not having a trial. So he is most definitely not having a secret trial. he is not being prosecuted so there is no prosecution and defence.

Ahmed Zaoui is free to leave NZ at any stage. He faces no charges here. The Director of the SIS has issued a certificate saying he is a security risk (presumably on the basis of his convictions for terrorism in Belgium and France) and he has appealed to the Inspector-General of Security and Intelligence to review that classification. This is a review of a secret security classification, not a trial. There is in fact no legislative need to even have a hearing – the IG could have decided to just take written submissions.

I personally don’t care much if he stays or goes. The issue should have been decided years ago. But Amnesty should check facts before they start talking about secret prosecutions and trials.