Help the Nauru 19 fight for justice!
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The Nauru 19 are a group of pro democracy protesters being persecuted by their government. They face a trial without legal representation and being locked up for fighting for democracy and the rule of law.
In June 2015 they engaged in a protest against the suspension of the parliamentary opposition, demanding the representatives of a third of the island’s population be allowed to vote on the national budget. Those parliamentarians had been suspended for criticising in the media the government’s expulsion of the country’s judiciary in 2014.
https://www.theguardian.com/australia-news/2017/may/26/how-nauru-ousted-its-judicial-leaders
https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nauru_government_crackdown_on_opposition_(2014–2015)
The police broke up the protest using a law that bans the association of three or more people. The Nauru 19 were charged with riot.
Under pressure the Nauruan Government eventually agreed to appoint a retired Australian Judge (Geoffrey Muecke) to hear the case.
That judge in 2018 threw out all the charges as an abuse of process, finding the Nauruan government had engaged in, “a shameful affront to the rule of law”. https://www.abc.net.au/news/2018-09-14/nauru-judge-throws-out-anti-government-protest-case/10247366
Among the judge’s findings were that the Nauru 19 had been placed on employment blacklists, banned from government funded legal aid and that the government had refused to pay legal costs for a lengthy trial for the Nauru 19’s legal team that he had ordered.
https://www.thesaturdaypaper.com.au/news/immigration/2018/09/22/exclusive-australia-enforces-naurus-blacklist/15375384006889
The government however appealed to the Nauru Court of Appeal, a court they created in response to the Nauru 19 succeeding previously in appeals to the High Court of Australia.
https://www.abc.net.au/radio/programs/pm/former-chief-justice-condemns-naurus-high-court-axeing/9614548
In June 2019 the Court set aside the decision and the matter is expected to again be listed for trial.
https://www.rnz.co.nz/international/pacific-news/392596/appeal-court-overturns-nauru-19-permanent-stay
The Nauru Government has recently passed laws restricting the ability of foreign pro bono lawyers to assist Nauruans.
https://www.abc.net.au/radio-australia/programs/pacificbeat/nauru-government-accused-of-obstructing-justice-with-new-laws/11219218
The Nauru 19 need to raise $50,000 to cover travel, accomodation and other expenses for a pro bono legal team.
In June 2015 they engaged in a protest against the suspension of the parliamentary opposition, demanding the representatives of a third of the island’s population be allowed to vote on the national budget. Those parliamentarians had been suspended for criticising in the media the government’s expulsion of the country’s judiciary in 2014.
https://www.theguardian.com/australia-news/2017/may/26/how-nauru-ousted-its-judicial-leaders
https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nauru_government_crackdown_on_opposition_(2014–2015)
The police broke up the protest using a law that bans the association of three or more people. The Nauru 19 were charged with riot.
Under pressure the Nauruan Government eventually agreed to appoint a retired Australian Judge (Geoffrey Muecke) to hear the case.
That judge in 2018 threw out all the charges as an abuse of process, finding the Nauruan government had engaged in, “a shameful affront to the rule of law”. https://www.abc.net.au/news/2018-09-14/nauru-judge-throws-out-anti-government-protest-case/10247366
Among the judge’s findings were that the Nauru 19 had been placed on employment blacklists, banned from government funded legal aid and that the government had refused to pay legal costs for a lengthy trial for the Nauru 19’s legal team that he had ordered.
https://www.thesaturdaypaper.com.au/news/immigration/2018/09/22/exclusive-australia-enforces-naurus-blacklist/15375384006889
The government however appealed to the Nauru Court of Appeal, a court they created in response to the Nauru 19 succeeding previously in appeals to the High Court of Australia.
https://www.abc.net.au/radio/programs/pm/former-chief-justice-condemns-naurus-high-court-axeing/9614548
In June 2019 the Court set aside the decision and the matter is expected to again be listed for trial.
https://www.rnz.co.nz/international/pacific-news/392596/appeal-court-overturns-nauru-19-permanent-stay
The Nauru Government has recently passed laws restricting the ability of foreign pro bono lawyers to assist Nauruans.
https://www.abc.net.au/radio-australia/programs/pacificbeat/nauru-government-accused-of-obstructing-justice-with-new-laws/11219218
The Nauru 19 need to raise $50,000 to cover travel, accomodation and other expenses for a pro bono legal team.
Fundraising team: Nauru 19 (3)
Stephen Lawrence
Organizer
Dubbo, NSW
Mark Gerard Higgins
Team member
Lucinta Dabwido
Team member