The long ordeal for Mohammed Haneef, whose work visa was cancelled by the then Australian Immigration Minister Kevin Andrews for his alleged links with UK terror suspects Sabeel and Kafeel, is finally over with the Australia Federal Court upholding a judge's decision to restore the work visa of the Indian doctor on Friday.
 

The verdict will now allow Haneef to visit Australia and resume work, even though the government has the option of moving the High Court against the lower court’s verdict.

It was a major legal victory for Haneef, who was wrongly accused of terror links to the failed Glasgow plot, as the full bench of the Federal Court in Brisbane took unanimously decided to reject a government petition challenging Justice Jeffery Spender's ruling in August in favor of the 27-year-old doctor from Bangalore.

Incidentally, the verdict has attracted international attention and is being considered as a landmark judgment in terrorist-related cases anywhere.

The verdict come as a major personal triumph for Haneef, who had spent 12 days in jail in Australian July and was then forced to leave Australia before probe authorities ascertained that they had no proof to indict him in a case that was largely driven by political interests.

At that time, Haneef had said he was pursuing the case only to clear his name and that he may choose not to return to Australia again.

Earlier, former Australian Immigration Minister Kevin Andrews had revoked Haneef's visa on the pretext that he was not of good character soon after the doctor was cleared of having any association with the failed terrorist attacks allegedly involving relatives in London and Scotland in June.

Soon after, on July 2, the Australian Federal Police nabbed Haneef at the Brisbane International Airport when he was trying to board a one-way flight to India.

Next, Haneef was detained without charge for 12 days in Australia under the controversial anti-terror laws, before police ultimately charged him with providing support to a terrorist group on the basis of suspicion that the doctor had given his mobile phone SIM card to his cousin Sabeel Ahmed, one of the accused of the attempted bomb attacks.

However, the charge was withdrawn within a fortnight when prosecutors discovered that there was no reasonable prospect of securing a conviction and after it was revealed their claim that Haneef's SIM card was found in the Glasgow attack vehicle was wrong!

Meanwhile, Haneef flew home to India in July and is currently visiting Saudi Arabia on Hajj pilgrimage. Commenting on the verdict, his lawyer Peter Russo said that It is a welcome verdict and added that he knew his client will be pleased to hear that they one step closer having his visa returned.

Be first to comment this article

Write Comment

Please keep the topic of messages relevant to the subject of the article. Personal verbal attacks will be deleted. Please don't use comments to plug your web site. Such material will be removed. Just ensure to *Refresh* your browser for a new security code to be displayed prior to clicking on the 'Send' button. Keep in mind that the above process only applies if you simply entered the wrong security code.
Name:
E-mail
BBCode:
Comment:
Code:*
	I wish to be contacted by email regarding additional comments

Powered by AkoComment Tweaked Special Edition v.1.4.4