ASIO to Lock Up the Innocent

[Oquist, Ben (Sen B. Brown)]

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Greens Will Move to Dump Legislation Altogether

ASIO will be able to lock up innocent people for up to 7 days under
recommendations released by the ALP and Government today, Greens Senator Bob
Brown said this afternoon.

"Those detained will include people suspected of committing no crime who
will be denied access to their own lawyer and the right to silence," Senator
Brown said.

"The recommendations from the Government and ALP would be good if they
applied to people actually suspected of terrorism but the legislation goes
much further in allowing innocent journalists, politicians, human rights
workers, in fact any adult in the community, to be locked up by ASIO.

"The fundamental problems remains with the legislation that ASIO will be
able to detain people who are not suspected of any wrong doing.

"The ALP and Government are also proposing that the fundamental right to
silence be removed for those detained by ASIO. Innocent people suspected of
nothing, who choose not to answer questions, face 5 years in jail.

"This legislation in an attack on fundamental legal norms and must be dumped
altogether," Senator Brown said.

Further information: Ben Oquist 0419704095


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