PRESS STATEMENT by Bernard Collaery, lawyer for the plaintiffs
Date: Monday 30 January 2006
Venue: In front of the Supreme Court of the ACT
Time: Immediately after the hearing; time to be confirmed Monday morning.
A directions hearing for the Falun Gong lawsuit against the Foreign Minister’s signing of monthly certificates restricting Australians’ freedom of expression, is scheduled for this Monday 30 January 2006. The case is proceeding, despite delays and appearing to be mired in yet another directions hearing.
The plaintiffs, Ms Jane Dai and Ms Zhang Cuiying, have expressed concern that Minister Downer has, on a number of occasions, failed to comply with the court’s direction to file affidavits in his defense, therefore continually delaying the scheduling of a hearing date. The plaintiffs are currently seeking an injunction in the Supreme Court of the ACT, to restrain Minister Downer from continuing to sign the certificates every 30 days.
The plaintiff’s lawyer, Bernard Collaery will make a statement to the court regarding these continuing delays. Mr Collaery will also give a press statement after the hearing to make public these apparently deliberate delays.
“The continuing delays in this case have been very distressing to the plaintiffs, who have had personal experiences of imprisonment and torture in the Chinese Laogai “re-education through labour” camps because of their spiritual beliefs. The daily human rights protest outside of the Chinese Embassy in Canberra is exposing the genocide being carried out, also on a daily basis, by the Chinese Communist regime against Falun Gong practitioners in China.” Said Kay Rubacek, Falun Gong spokesperson.
Posting Date: 30/Jan/06
Original Article Date: 29/Jan/06
Category: Media Release
