Algerian facing secret charges

By CATHERINE MASTERS

The Government has stepped up its security classification of Ahmed Zaoui - indicating the existence of new information on the Algerian terrorist suspect.

Authorities have issued a security risk certificate against him, giving them new powers to deal with him.

The Weekend Herald understands that it is the first time such a certificate has been issued.

Certificates can be issued when the Security Intelligence Service has classified security information, but the information stays secret.

Zaoui has the right to a review and then an appeal based only on points of law. After that no further avenues are available to him and he can be removed or deported.

He has already been locked up, in virtual isolation, at Paremoremo maximum-security prison for four months, since he arrived on false South African travel documents in December.

Until the certificate was issued, he had been appearing weekly at Manukau District Court for routine extensions to his committal warrant while his refugee status was investigated.

It is understood that his appeal against being refused refugee status was held this week under heavy security at the court, despite the issuing of the new certificate, although the Refugee Status Appeals Authority will not confirm such an appeal.

Security has been so intense that two court lawyers not related to the case complained they were threatened with trespass orders by plainclothes police simply for sitting outside the courtroom.

When the Weekend Herald asked Immigration Minister Lianne Dal-ziel whether the new certificate would over-ride the decision of the appeal authority, a spokeswoman said the minister had taken legal advice and could not answer.

But Green Party immigration spokesman Keith Locke said the certificate over-rode all other acts and meant if that the Refugee Status Appeals Authority decision went Zaoui's way, the Government could still deport him.

That would be a "huge injustice," said Mr Locke.

Meanwhile, supporters of Zaoui are highly sceptical that the Government has new classified information and say it is unfair Zaoui has not been told what it is.

Wahib Zaza, a spokesman for the Algerian community, is one of the few people who have been allowed to visit Zaoui in prison. He says that last Sunday when he went to Paremoremo Zaoui told him he had been visited by someone in either the SIS or the Immigration Service.

This person told him the Government had new information and that he was likely to be deported even if his appeal succeeded.

"They said, 'Even if you pass the appeal, even if your appeal is successful, we have to take you from here because of the information we have got'. What is the nature of this information? 'Secret'."

Terrorism expert Paul Buchanan said the issuing of the certificate indicated a political decision might have been made about Zaoui's future.

But the case "stank" and he doubted whether there was any new information.

Zaoui's odyssey

* Algerian Ahmed Zaoui gives himself up at Auckland International Airport in December, claiming asylum.

* It emerges he was democratically elected to government in Algeria but his party, the Islamic Salvation Front (FIS), was banned after a military coup.

* The military Government issued a death threat against him and he fled to Europe.

* Terrorist accusations followed him in Belgium and France. He fled to Switzerland, was expelled to Burkina Faso and fled from there.

* No countries have conclusive proof of any crime.