The first man jailed under Australia's new anti-terror laws was set free tonight after an appeal court quashed his convictions.
It seems that anti-terror laws still need to apply the rules of evidence. Joseph Terrence Thomas, 33, [often called Jihad Jack] was sentenced to five years in jail in March for receiving funds from al-Qaeda and for holding a false passport.
Previously suppressed court documents revealed graphic interview records in which Thomas claims that a CIA agent threatened to torture him and rape his wife.
Thomas, a Muslim convert, told Australian police that during one interrogation an American agent said he would "put my balls in a vice'' and "my wife's tits in a vice".
But it wasn’t the delicate interview procedure tat saved his bacon, according to analysts. Thomas claims he took part in the interview in Pakistan on March 8, 2003, without a lawyer, because he feared being sent to Guantanamo Bay or held indefinitely if he did not cooperate.
But there was no lawyer present! That is the law for, forget the duress, get him a lawyer!
Crown prosecutors said police tried to obtain a lawyer for Thomas but were thwarted by
I guess we’ll hear more about the CIA methods after this, and any evidence is now highly debatable. Bloody good one!
Some story links:
Interview without lawyer was key
'Jihad Jack' terror conviction thrown out
1 comment:
ouch
Post a Comment