Minister has key to cage door, says Locke

Green MP Keith Locke rejects the Immigration Minister's assertion today that Ahmed Zaoui cannot be moved to the Mangere Refugee Resettlement Centre.

"It is quite clear that clause 1140 (3) of the Immigration Act specifies that people subject to a Security Risk Certificate do not need to be held in a prison, but can be held in other forms of detention " said Mr Locke, the Green spokesperson on Security and Intelligence.

"Mangere is a detention centre, and therefore could easily be used to legally detain Mr Zaoui."

"Lianne Dalziel owes it to Mr Zaoui to ease the conditions of his imprisonment because he unjustly had to suffer 10 months in solitary confinement, causing him unnecessary mental anguish."

"The 14-month delay in the determination of his case has been in large measure caused by her government's resistance to releasing further information on the accusations against him."

Even today, after such a long time, Mr Zaoui still hasn't seen a summary of the accusations against him. In such circumstances, he should not be still rotting in a penal institution."

ENDS

© Scoop Media