Unlawful arrests of activists

DARWIN — Three members of the Network Against Prohibition — Gary Meyerhoff, Stuart Highway and Robert Inder-Smith — were unlawfully arrested on November 1 for their involvement in a 2002 protest against the NT Labor government’s repressive “drug-house laws”. Along with two others, they were convicted in 2003 and sentenced to 14-21 months’ jail, suspended after five months.

Warrants were issued for their arrest by the Supreme Court on October 4, even though the three were on bail pending appeals against their sentences. The activists were not informed of the hearing, nor that the warrants had been issued.

The police arrived at Meyerhoff’s house at 1am to arrest him. He told the ABC’s Stateline program that he “knew straight away that someone had made a mistake somewhere”, but “had no choice but to get in the back of the van with the police”. It was pouring rain at the time and Meyerhoff was recovering from pneumonia.

The three were taken to the Darwin watch-house, where they were refused phone calls and contact with legal aid. NT police commander Max Pope conceded on Stateline that “they should have been allowed to make that call”.

The activists will launch civil litigation against the NT government.

Newshawk: http://www.napnt.org
Pubdate: 17th November 2004
Source: Green Left Weekly
Author: Kathy Newnam
Website: http://www.greenleft.org.au
Email: glw@greenleft.org.au