- ‘Anti-terror’ raids in New Zealand remind of old brutalities
- No hearings likely until 2010 for raids accused
- Support the cause!
- "Criminal gang" charges ludicrous
- Police raids: Tame Iti among five facing more charges
- Urewera raids: Accused face fresh charges
- Crown plans new Urewera charges
- Indictment to criminalise Maori dissent issued
- Police paranoia the real threat
- Operation 8 depositions hearing over - 1 defendant free
News from www.october15th solidarity.info
‘Anti-terror’ raids in New Zealand remind of old brutalities
By Jordan Pearson • November 17, 2008 @18:48 • 3,503 words •
No hearings likely until 2010 for raids accused
Updated at 11:00am on 18 November 2008
* Lawyers for those accused after last year's nationwide police raids, say a trial will likely not happen until 2010 if the matter is transferred to the High Court.*
A short hearing has taken place at the High Court in Auckland, where the Crown has made an application to have the charges transferred from the District Court.
It is also seeking to lay new charges against some of the accused.
Support the cause!
New T-shirts are available to support the people affected in the October 15th raids. Money raised goes to support (such as transport to court, accommodation in Auckland during court appearances, and food) as well as the on-going political work of the October 15th solidarity crew.
- Remember October 15th(with Te Mana Motuhake o Tuhoe flag) Shirts are $20 and available in S,M,L,XL,XXL
"Criminal gang" charges ludicrous
31 October 2008
Media Release: Global Peace and Justice Auckland
The police decision to lay charges of participating in a criminal gang against five of the Urewera arrestees is ludicrous. Having failed to brand these activists as terrorists the police now want to try to brand them as criminals.
Police raids: Tame Iti among five facing more charges
Updated at 6:36am on 31 October 2008
http://www.radionz.co.nz/news/stories/2008/10/31/12437ab92859
More serious charges are to be laid against five of the people already due to stand trial after the high profile police raids last year.
Earlier in October, 17 people were committed to stand trial on various charges of illegally possessing firearms, ammunition or explosives.
The Crown says Tame Iti, Tuhoi Lambert, Emily Bailey, Urs Signer and Whiri Kemara have now been charged with participation in a criminal group, which carries a sentence of up to five years imprisonment.
Urewera raids: Accused face fresh charges
New Zealand Herald
4:00AM Friday Oct 31, 2008
By Elizabeth Binning
Fresh charges are to be laid against some of those seized in the Urewera police raids - more than a year after they were arrested.
Five of the 18 people arrested during the nationwide operation last October are to face new allegations of participating in a criminal gang.
One of the five is Maori activist Tame Iti.
Crown plans new Urewera charges
By KIM RUSCOE and BEN FAWKES - The Dominion Post | Friday, 31 October 2008
The Crown is preparing to lay fresh charges against five of the 17 people arrested after anti- terrorism raids in the Bay of Plenty.
Prosecutor Ross Burns said the Crown planned to charge Tame Iti, Tuhoe Lambert, Whiri Kemara, Swiss national Urs Signer and Wellington's Emily Bailey with participating in an organised criminal group. The charge carries a maximum jail term of five years.
Indictment to criminalise Maori dissent issued
The Crown has issued an indictment today against 18 people arrested in the police raids of October 15th 2007 in Ruatoki, Auckland, Hamilton, Whakatane, Palmerston North, Wellington and elsewhere.
Five of the 18 people have been charged with participation in a criminal gang under section 98A of the Crimes Act.
Police paranoia the real threat
Over the mind-numbing 19 days of the deposition hearings vis-à-vis the arms charges against 18 individuals arising from the 15 October police raids, the observations of a former NZ Police “Red Squad’ sergeant articulated shortly after those hostile events repeatedly intruded. In the Global Peace & Justice Auckland newsletter [23-10-07], those views were summarized as follows:
Operation 8 depositions hearing over - 1 defendant free
The long depositions hearing for 18 of the the Operation 8 defendants has finally finished, with Judge Perkins today committing 17 of them to face trial.
1 of the arrestees, Rongomai Bailey, had all charges against him dropped. [ Video interview with Bailey from NZ Herald ]
Commemorate and celebrate: Events planned for October 15th
There are events being planned in Ruatoki, Auckland, Wellington and Melbourne to commemorate the October 15th 2007 raids and to celebrate our resistance.
Hearing in Courtroom 8
I arrived home today from the deposition hearing in Auckland: one month filled with long days at district courtroom 8 staring at 10 am, finishing at 5pm, day in and day out.
Deposition hearing finishes Friday, Oct 3
The deposition hearing will conclude tomorrow afternoon, just exactly when the Crown said it would. There will be one final defence submission, followed by a Crown response, and possibly a brief bail argument.
The defendants are required to return to court on 17 October to hear the decision of Judge Perkins on whether or not they will be committed to trial.
Dispatches for day 7 and 8 - once more into the breach of Operation 8 Depositions hearing
21 September 2008
After a week in Wellington and a whole different court case, I'm back in Auckland for the second stretch of the depositions hearing. Tomorrow morning the bus will come to take us to court, and we'll be back into the three ring circus which is the depositions hearing.
On the last day of the last session the judge said that he would continue sitting until it was over. I'm not sure if that was a promise or a threat
Solicitor-General vs Fairfax contempt proceedings over the 'Terror Files'
Dispatches from Wellington - Fairfax contempt trial
"The Terror Files" - ten months ago the Dominion Post, Stuff and other Fairfax papers published several articles that were based on the affidavit that was used to get the search warrant for the raids on October 15th. In these articles they also published intercepted communications, in a random, cherry picked sort of a way (cherry-picking the cherry-picking - since search warrants don't generally include the perspective of people raided, or even counter-interpretations). Now, ten months later, they were being taken to court by solicitor general for contempt.
Read the reports from the hearing at the Wellington High Court
Fairfax Contempt hearing closes
Closing arguments from the Crown and the respondents in the Fairfax contempt trial were heard in the Wellington High Court today. The judges have retired to consider their decision which they will deliver in writing.
The Solicitor-General (SG) closed his case against both Fairfax newspapers and the editor of the Dominion Post Tim Pankhurst by addressing all of the respondents’ defences.
Solicitor-General vs Fairfax contempt proceedings over the 'Terror Files'
Dispatches from Wellington - Faifax contempt trial
Monday, 15 September
Wellington High Court
Public Meeting: In the Aftermath of the Urewera Raids - Discussing colonisation, courts and contempt
Public Meeting in Wellington, 6:30pm, Monday 22nd September 2008
St Johns in the City, cnr Willis and Dixon Sts, Wellington
In the Aftermath of the Urewera Raids - Discussing colonisation, courts and contempt
With:
Steven Price (media lawyer, author of www.medialawjournal.co.nz)
Speaking about media law and contempt of court
October 15th Solidarity group panel
Speaking on the broader issues around the state terror raids of 15th October 2007 and the Search and Surveillance Powers Bill introduced to Parliament last week.
Dominion Post editor summoned to Auckland to answer contempt of court charge in Operation 8 case.
The Dominion Post editor has been summoned to the Auckland District Court to appear before Judge Perkins today for breaching the suppression order relating to the Operation 8 case.
The Dominion Post breached suppression in an article dated 9 September.
Global Day of Action - Drop the Charges!
On a cold and miserable day, the cries of "No More Police State!" echoed through Central Auckland's Queen Street as over 200 Maori, trade unionists and left wingers joined a rally to defend the Urewewa 20, and remember the State Terror Raids of October 15th last year. There were banners and contingents from Tuhoe, Unite, Socialist Aotearoa, the Workers Party, and Auckland's Anarcha-Feminist collective, with individuals from the NDU, Green Party and Maoridom.