Jack Thomas to face trial on scapegoat terrorism charges : Melbourne Indymedia

Werribee man Jack Thomas has been arraigned in the Victorian Supreme Court to face trial next month on scapegoat terrorism-charges.

Mr Thomas has pleaded not guilty to receiving funds from a terrorist organisation and not guilty to possessing a falsified Australian passport.

The alleged offences are said to have occurred in Karachi in Pakistan between November 2002 and January 2003 after he was tortured.

Possible Walkley Award?

The Crown is expected to call a journalist from the ABC's Four Corners [walls] program and a newspaper reporter to give evidence about an interview they conducted with Mr Thomas.

For ASIO?

So whatever you do don't give the media an interview if you're being accused or look like being accused of a crime, your life and your children's future may depend on it!

Sorcerer: http://www.abc.net.au/news/newsitems/200703/s1879783.htm

PS) If anyone knows the name of the newspaper reporter please make a comment, people need to warned of the danger.

Related:

Lawyers for Mr Thomas have argued the order imposed by the Federal Court is at odds with the Constitution.

http://melbourne.indymedia.org/news/2007/02/140409.php

Ring a bell? Jack Thomas and Four Corners!

Read on or better still watch the program if you can.

http://adelaide.indymedia.org/newswire/display_any/57759

Draconian scapegoat orders 'stacked against' Thomas

A constitutional law expert says the system is stacked against Melbourne man Jack Thomas.

http://adelaide.indymedia.org/newswire/display_any/21072

'Control order' should frighten all Australians

Greens Senator Kerry Nettle today condemned the issuing of a 'control order' to Jack Thomas by the Attorney General Phillip Ruddock and renewed The Greens call for this arbitrary power to be removed from law.

http://melbourne.indymedia.org/news/2006/08/120775_comment.php#120787

Australia: The torture of Jack Thomas

Given the High Commissioner’s role and the reference to “high places,” there is every indication that the Australian government sanctioned these abuses. What is indisputable is that, acting on its behalf, the Commonwealth Director of Public Prosecutions sought to secure convictions that depended entirely upon the completely unreliable statements that Thomas made in his desperation to stop the beatings, avoid being sent to Guantánamo Bay and be allowed to go home.

http://adelaide.indymedia.org/newswire/display_any/20988

Jack Thomas served with control order

Anyway who cares about civil liberties should be outraged at this decision. We hear about authoritarian governments putting people under house arrest in Burma – well, now it’s happening right here in Australia!’

http://melbourne.indymedia.org/news/2006/08/120670.php

Professor George Williams says

University of New South Wales law expert Professor George Williams says the matter could be tested in the High Court.

He says the case will reduce people's confidence in the
justice system.

"The fact that a jury is not involved, the fact that the criteria are loaded against the person because the standard of proof is significantly lower than it would normally be, mean that even though a judge, I have no doubt, will attempt to give a fair hearing and do his or her best - doesn't matter," he said.

"You've got the system stacked against someone.

"This is not a normal process and indeed that's exactly the problem with it."

http://melbourne.indymedia.org/news/2006/08/120828_comment.php

If they were any tougher they'd Rust!

Tougher terrorism laws predicted after Thomas ruling?

A top defence lawyer says he is concerned the Government might push for tougher anti-terrorism laws as a result of the quashing of convictions against Melbourne man Joseph Terrence Thomas.

abc 18 Aug 06

http://www.abc.net.au/news/newsitems/200608/s1718915.htm

Judge quashes Thomas conviction

This is fantastic news. Congratulations to Jack and the Thomas family! It is a vindication of everyone prepared to fight for basic rights -- and makes the bus trip all the more important. We're in the process of putting a press release out. Good news for a change!

http://adelaide.indymedia.org/newswire/display/19874/index.php

Joseph Thomas conviction immoral

AN EMBARRASSING conviction based on TORTURE IMMORAL

http://melbourne.indymedia.org/news/2006/07/117441.php

DPP should lose the plot!

Now why would the DPP do that? Based on some notion I suppose, that john hoWARd (the hangman) wants to use Thomas's butt again, to raise the fear stakes in the introduction of the new Anti-Liberty-Dissent Directives!

http://adelaide.indymedia.org/newswire/display_any/9617

AUSTRALIAN SCAPEGOAT BLOG

Stop Voting - Stop Supporting Pseudo Democracies: Updated Repost

Stop Voting - Stop Supporting Pseudo Democracies [254]
Just as communicating with the Feds about abandoning the way we live now is a futile process that only buttresses the legitimacy of old ways of thinking and living, continuing to vote within centralised political processes only reinforces their continuing relevance. Citizens who continue to reside within totalitarian-democracies can, at least partly, abandon them by not voting at elections that will never lead to abundance and a better way of living.

http://sydney.indymedia.org.au/node/50448