My Kiwi comrade Asher has written a summary of the situation facing the Urewera 16, the sixteen people currently facing charges for a number of alleged arms offences and, potentially, for crimes under the Terrorism Suppression Act (2002). Note that Section 67 of the Act states that the Attorney General must authorise the commencement of prosecutions under the Act. Rather than accept responsibility for this decision, the current Attorney General, Michael Cullen (who “enjoys music, reading, golf, and house renovation”) has hand-passed the political hot potato to the Solicitor-General (Solicitor-General to decide on terror charges, NZPA, October 29, 2007).
The work of a social democratic government is never done. The natural way of the world is to move in the opposite direction to the way we wish to go, towards greater inequality. For out of chaos, disorder, conflict, repression, and injustice we seek to create a better world in which we can give full expression to a belief in innate equality and social justice. And as soon as we stop then all begins to move back again to a state of nature. That is why we go forth from here reconfirmed in our resolve to continue the struggle for a better New Zealand, the struggle to build on what we have already done…
Please also note that two members of the Aotearoa Indymedia editorial collective are among those facing charges, and that the collective really needs support. If you’re interested in taking an active role in the collective, email imc-aotearoa-ed (at) lists.indymedia.org.
All 16 people arrested and charged with arms offences on Monday October 15th in nationwide raids appeared in the Auckland District Court on November 1st and 2nd. A 17th person arrested during the raids was charged with cannabis related charges and will appear separately. During the hearings, a number of the prisoners had name suppression dropped (some willingly, some not) and two more were bailed on top of those who were already out. Loud cheers greeted those bailed and others, and many cries of “We love you!” echoed through the court over the two days.
On Thursday November 1st, a few new pieces of information were revealed and confirmed. Firstly, that there will be two trials — one for the arms charges, and one for the charges under the Terrorism Suppression Act (if consent to lay them is granted by the Solicitor-General). Also, the details of which prisoners have had their files referred to the Solicitor-General by the Police was confirmed (12 of the 16). It was inferred by counsel for the Crown that there could be a decision by the Solicitor-General by the end of next week.
Cases heard on November 1st
1) A 38 year old Auckland man has interim name suppression, and is remanded in custody until December 3rd. The Police have applied to charge him under the Terrorism Suppression Act (‘the Act’).
2) Marama Mayrick, 24, of Hamilton, had her bail extended to December 3rd, although her attendance is excused on that date as long as she is represented by counsel. The Police have not applied to charge her under the Act.
3) Jamie Lockett, 46, of Auckland, is remanded in custody until November 12th, when he will apply for electronic bail (aka home detention). The Police have applied to charge him under the Act.
4) Tame Iti, 55, of Ruatoki, is remanded in custody until December 3rd, although he will have a bail appeal in the Rotorua High Court on November 7th. If bail is granted, his attendance on December 3rd will be excused as long as he is represented by counsel. The Police have applied to charge him under the Act.
5) Ira Bailey, 28, of Wellington, was granted bail (not opposed by the Crown) to a Wellington address until December 3rd. His attendance on December 3rd will be excused as long as he is represented by counsel. His bail conditions include not to go to Ruatoki, a 10pm – 6am curfew and not to obtain any firearms. The Police have not applied to charge him under the Act.
6) A male from Ruatoki was granted bail to Ruatoki (not opposed by the Crown) to reappear on December 3rd. His attendance on December 3rd will be excused as long as he is represented by counsel. His conditions include reporting to the Whakatane Police Station every Friday and a 10pm – 6am curfew. The Police have not applied to charge him under the Act.
7) A second male from Ruatoki was remanded in custody until December 3rd. He will have a bail appeal in the Rotorua High Court at an as-yet undecided date before then however. The Police have applied to charge him under the Act.
EIGHT) A 23 year old male from Wellington was remanded in custody until December 3rd. The Police have applied to charge him under the Act.
9) Moana Winitana, 53, of Palmerston North, had his bail extended until December 3rd. His attendance on December 3rd will be excused as long as he is represented by counsel. The Police have not applied to charge him under the Act.
10) A 59 year old male from Auckland is remanded in custody until December 3rd. He may have a bail application on that date. The Police have applied to charge him under the Act.
11) A 32 year old Auckland woman had her bail extended until December 3rd. The bail conditions were also changed, with a lessening of the curfew amongst other changes (against the Crown’s wishes). The Police have applied to charge her under the Act.
Cases heard on November 2nd
12) Rongomai Bailey, 28, of Auckland, had his bail extended through until December 3rd. The Police have applied to charge him under the Act.
13) Omar Hamed, 19, of Auckland (an Aotearoa Indymedia activist), had a bail application which took up most of the day. It was denied by the Court for reasons which are suppressed. He also applied for a fresh order of name suppression, which was also denied. He is remanded in custody until December 3rd. The Police have applied to charge him under the Act.
14) Rawiri Iti, 29, of Hamilton, made a fresh application for bail due to a change in circumstances since his initial application was denied. The Judge ruled that there had been no change in circumstances, and so no application for bail was heard. He is remanded in custody until November 23rd, when he will apply for electronic bail (home detention). The Police have applied to charge him under the Act.
15) Emily Bailey, 30, of Wellington, did not make a bail application and is remanded in custody until December 3rd. The Police have applied to charge her under the Act.
16) Valerie Morse, 36, of Wellington, did not make a bail application and is remanded in custody until December 3rd. The Police have applied to charge her under the Act. Rebel Press, who published Morse’s recent book Against Freedom (on the “War On Terror” in Aotearoa / New Zealand), have put out a press release in support of her.
Finally, in a rare piece of welcome news, attorneys for the West Memphis 3 — Jessie Misskelley, Damien Echols and Jason Baldwin — have submitted a Second Amended Petition for Writ of Habeas Corpus on the basis of new DNA evidence which allegedly proves that the three were not responsible for the slaying in 1993 of three eight-year-old boys in West Memphis, Arkansas: Chris Byers, Steve Branch, and James Michael Moore.
