Mamdouh Habib loses court battles
FORMER Guantanamo Bay detainee Mamdouh Habib has lost court action over his detention overseas and a claim he was defamed by Australian media.
In the Federal Court in Sydney today, Justice Rodney Madgwick concluded that despite Mr Habib’s claim, he was never in the Australian High Commission in Islamabad in 2001 before being taken to Egypt.
Mr Habib is suing the Australian Government for compensation on many grounds, including a claim that the Government breached its duty of care to him as an Australian citizen abroad.
Justice Madgwick was asked to make a ruling on one issue in the case, a claim the judge noted had been brought up by Mr Habib after the proceedings had been under way for some time.
He concluded Mr Habib met one or more Australian government officers in Islamabad in October 2001, but not in the Australian High Commission or any other place under the Governments’s control.
Among his other claims, Mr Habib alleged that during a meeting at the Australian High Commission, he asked an Australian Security Intelligence Organisation agent for help after telling him he had been kidnapped by foreign authorities.
In a separate District Court action in Sydney, Judge Judith Gibson struck out Mr Habib’s defamation action against Radio 2UE Pty Ltd and Macquarie Radio Network Ltd, ruling it was “an abuse of process”.
He had sued over three broadcasts - by 2UE’s John Laws and Steve Price, and 2GB’s Ray Hadley - all made on August 18, 2005.
Among other claims, he said they defamed him by implying he was trying to deceive Centrelink by seeking a disability pension when he was not disabled.
May 15th, 2008 | Category: Bush Lies, Detainee
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