Activist welcomes ASIO court order

Washington, 2 November 2007: Deported US peace activist Scott Parkin today welcomed a Federal Court judgement ordering discovery of documents showing why ASIO branded him a threat to national security.

Mr Parkin was detained and removed from Australia in September 2005 after giving talks to local anti-war activists.

Mr Parkin said that he felt vindicated by the order that ASIO release the documents and called on the current and Shadow Attorney's General to respect the court's decision.

"I was labelled a security threat, detained for five days and forcibly removed from Australia on the basis of secret evidence. Others were locked up for years.

"After battling ASIO's secrecy for more than two years, this is a positive step.

"My concern now is that the current or future Attorney General will use national security legislation to override the court's decision and keep these documents secret."

Among the documents ASIO has been ordered to release is a secret 1990 "determination" which sets out the criteria that ASIO applies when assessing security threats related to "politically motivated violence".

In May, 26 Australian supporters backed Mr Parkin's stated committment to nonviolent methods of protest by signing statutory declarations detailing his political activity in Australia.