Court to rule on refugee death sentence

Rallying for refugee rights

Capital punishment in Australia was thankfully abolished decades ago but yesterday the High Court started hearing a case that could see three people sent to their deaths.  The case is over whether three refugees, Ismail Mizra Jan from Afghanistan and Emil and Vithuran from Sri Lanka, should be forcibly deported to their countries of origin, countries they fled from after persecution, threats and murder of family members as a result of their status as members of minority ethnic groups. 

Should they be returned they will face all this again, along with additional reprisals being likely because of their attempts to flee.  I was asked to represent the Greens, as supporters of fair and compassionate treatment of refugees, at a rally outside the court – the speech I delivered is here.  We wait in hope for the court to hand down the right decision in the next few days.

Edit – for more information on the rally, see this article in City Hub.