Amnesty Wants Orange Protest For Hicks

Illawarra Mercury

Saturday March 24, 2007

By TOM STURROCK

ILLAWARRA residents have been asked to wear orange on Fridays in support of Australian Guantanamo Bay inmate David Hicks.

The regional launch of the Orange Fridays protest at Wollongong Lighthouse yesterday is part of Amnesty International's plan to pressure the Howard government into bringing Hicks home after five years of detention.

"Other countries have arranged to have their prisoners taken home, why haven't we done the same?" Amnesty group member Jane Cipants said.

"Public opinion has changed - now people have had more access to the information, they realise five years is too long and they're now getting angry about our Government's inaction."

Since his capture in Afghanistan in December 2001, Hicks has been held at Guantanamo Bay as an unlawful combatant.

On March 1, he was formally charged with material support for terrorism, and faces trial next month.

Ms Cipants said Amnesty would monitor those proceedings closely to ensure fairness.

Regardless of the outcome, Ms Cipants believes Hicks should be brought back to Australia.

EDITORIAL Thorn in PM's side. Page 31

© 2007 Illawarra Mercury

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