Photographs showed Dr Haneef smiling, when he emerged last night after the dramatic collapse of the prosecution case. Until his future is decided, he is to be held in residential detention, and faces the prospect of being deported within a few weeks.

Australian Prime Minister John Howard made a vain attempt to shift blame as his government struggled to avoid fallout, from this crumbling case. Howard directed the responsibility for the collapsed case towards the Police Commissioner Mick Keelty and the Director of Public Prosecutions Damian Bugg.

Ironically, during Haneef’s peak crisis time, Mr. Howard had held a press conference where he cautioned Australians to be constantly aware of the threat of terrorism after the failed bomb plots in Britain to which Dr Haneef was linked. "There are people in our midst who would do us harm and evil if they had the opportunity of doing so," said the PM at a press conference one day after Haneef’s arrest. He has also supported the Immigration minister’s decision to revoke Haneef’s visa.

Damian Bugg said today: "On my view of this matter, a mistake has been made and I will examine that" He also added "Mistakes are embarrassing, you’re embarrassed if you do something wrong. I’m not embarrassed about it in terms of my own feelings." Surprisingly, Mr. Bugg refused to resign over the issue.

A rebellious and defiant Mr. Keelty declared the investigation as "thorough" and praised his work as a "job well done." He said there was no reason why the AFP should apologise!

Kevin Andrews, the Immigration Minister, argued his case of revoking Dr. Haneef’s visa, saying that he acted in the interests of national security.

All three of them have told Australian reporters that they would neither accept responsibility for the botched case, and nor would they apologise.

ACTION ALERT:

1. Contact Kevin Andrews – Minister for Immigration & citizenship, and express your concern at the way that Dr Haneef has been treated, and urge him to refrant Haneef his visa.

Mr. Andrews has his own website, where you can leave your comments. The link is:

http://www.kevinandrews.au.com/index.cfm?act=contact

http://www.kevinandrews.au.com

http://www.minister.immi.gov.au

Office Phone no: 03 9848 9900

Fax no: 03 9848 2741

Email: kevin.andrews.mp@aph.gov.au

Parliament House Phone no: 02 6277 7860

Fax no: 02 6273 4144

2. Contact the Australian High Commission, UK – Ring them or send them a fax

Richard Alston – Australian High Commissioner for UK

Australian High Commission
Strand
London WC2B 4LA

Tel: 020 7379 4334;

Fax: 020 7240 5333

Australian Immigration Enquiry form:

http://www.immi.gov.au/contacts/forms/europe/

Examples of letters:

Re: The case of Mohamed Haneef

I would like to express my concern at the Australian government’s handling of Dr Mohamed Haneef’s case. The denial of natural justice in this case will no doubt adversely affect his chances of getting a fair trial.

Dr Haneef’s case has clearly demonstrated grave defects in the application and interpretation of the anti-terrorism laws by law enforcement agencies and thus must be reviewed. As the government that drafted and introduced these laws, it must realise that these laws need to be amended in the near future in order to balance it with protection of human rights provisions so that incidents like Dr Haneef’s case do not reoccur.

I do understand that all charges against Dr. Haneef have been dropped. However I am shocked at the the fact that his visa has not been regranted, and the possibility of his deportation. The Australian government put him in these circumstances, and just because of difficulties arising in your political path, it is unacceptable for Australia to wash their hands off him, to prevent further political damage.

I urge you to regrant Dr. Haneef his visa, offer him and his family compensation for the damage that has been done, and to allow him to continue serving in Australia, in his medical profession.

Yours sincerely,

Your signature
Your name
Your address

'The story in depth...'

Mr. Andrews said it was important to remember much less evidence was required to cancel a work visa than to make terrorism charges stick. Dr Haneef has admitted in his record of interview that he is a cousin of the suspects held in UK and this raises the possibility that the cancellation of the visa might remain in place. However, where is the justice in arresting people & cancelling their visas, merely on the grounds that they are related?

Senator Brown called on Kevin Andrews & Attorney- General Philip Ruddock to resign over the affair. "They have totally mishandled, not just the decisions that were made, but abused the high responsibility they have to uphold Australian law and to make sure there is not a miscarriage in justice in a case like this," he said. He also added that the government moved into this with politics in mind and Dr Haneef had become a victim and soon, the rest of Australia would also be victimised.

Haneef’s case has been a legal injustice triggered by pressure on investigators from some of Australia's most senior MPs. It adds on to the list of other innocents whose lives have been terrorised by the plight of political terror. However, despite appreciating the blunders already made by the authorities, the arrogance of not rectifying their mistakes, nor apologising is outrageous.

As Haneef’s case joins the Tampa, Children Overboard, David Hicks and Iraq case, in the growing list of security-related scandals, Australians & the rest of the world are demanding to know why the lines have once again been blurred between politics, justice and national security. When will politicians get the message that we are tired of the politics of fear?

Kevin Andrews has stubbornly stuck by his decision to revoke Haneef’s visa, and government sources suggested it was unlikely that he would change this decision. If Mr Andrews stands by his decision to cancel the visa, the Government is expected to deport Haneef "as soon as practicable".

Ray Turner, An immigration law specialist, felt that the minister’s decision to stick with his erroneous belief would be tough, saying "If the charges are dropped, the minister has acted in relation to charges and facts that no longer exist." Mr Turner added "The minister does have the power to revisit the Section 501 [character] questions."

Haneef’s lawyers, Mr. Peter Russo & Mr. Stephen Keim, have lodged an appeal against the decision to cancel the visa in the Brisbane Federal Court., the hearing date of which is on 8th August 2007. "If the charges are dropped the visa should be reinstated." they said.

Before the charge was heard in a court Mr Andrews took the unilateral decision to cancel Dr Haneef's visa on character grounds.
Today Mr Andrews said a review of his decision had given him no reason to change his mind. He also defended his use of the Migration Act which civil liberty groups say is an overt politicisation of the law.

Consequences

There are far reaching consequences to Dr. Haneef being deported from Australia. After having his name & photographs splashed in every newsapaper, and having allegations of running an Al-Qaeda network in Australia, the prospects of him working in any other foreign country are minimal. If he applied for a visa to a different country, he would have to state the fact of being deported from Australia – a stigma on his honour for the rest of his future.

Please do what you can to lobby the Australian Government to support Dr Haneef and ensure that his visa is restored. The temptation for the Government to wash their hands of him and simply deport him out of the way will have enormous implications on the future of Dr. Haneef and his freedom.

If Andrews deports Haneef, he is punishing a person who has not even been convicted. This of course makes the argument about respecting the courts decision slightly problematic. This course of action may allow the Howard Government to portray themselves as champions of national security.Although most of the intelligent community know this is a farce, it may actually be an effective wedge.

The most appropriate course of action by the Australian government should be that Andrews actually regrants Dr Haneef his visa, gives him and his family compensation for the damage the AFP & the immigration departments have done to his reputation, release him with his honour & dignity intact, and allow him to carry on serving in Australia.

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