Access denied: Habib still to read report

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The former terror suspect Mamdouh Habib says his mistreatment continues because Australian authorities have not given him an official report about his arrest and detention overseas. Australia’s Inspector-General of Intelligence and Security Vivienne Thom found that the Australian Government should apologise to Mrs Habib for failing to keep her properly informed about her husband’s situation. But the Prime Minister, Julia Gillard, said in a statement that there would be no apology.

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ELIZABETH JACKSON: The former terror suspect Mamdouh Habib says he’s been completely sidelined in the government’s release of its official report into his arrest and detention overseas.

Australia’s Inspector-General of Intelligence and Security, Vivienne Thom, released her report into the case yesterday.

She found that the Australian Government should apologise to Mrs Habib for failing to keep her properly informed about her husband’s situation.

But the Prime Minister Julia Gillard has says there’ll be no apology.

Mr Habib was released in 2005 without charge, but he’s consistently made allegations of mistreatment at the hands of the Americans and the Egyptians.

Dr Thom found that Australian officials were not involved in Mr Habib’s transfer to Egypt and were not present during interrogations.

Brendan Trembath asked Mamdouh Habib what he thought about the findings.

MAMDOUH HABIB: I was waiting for this report for one year but I was surprised to find the report through you, through the media and I should be the first one to get the report and I never have it – I don’t know what’s in it.

BRENDAN TREMBATH: The report finds that your wife deserved to know what was happening to you and that wasn’t done but the report does not sustain some of the things you said about Australians being involved in your interrogation. What do you say about that?

MAMDOUH HABIB: Since I’ve been released from Guantnamo Bay, since I come back in Australia, everything I’ve said I’ll never change it and I’m not going to change it and it’s the truth. And every day the witness and the evidence prove the government’s been lie and the government is being corrupt and dishonest and tell people not truth. I am the one only can stand the truth.

The government hiding of my kidnapping how they’re involved with my rendition in Pakistan, how they involved – how they was inside the interrogation room the ASIO (Australian Security and Intelligence Organisation) official and Federal Police inside the room I was interrogated and tortured in.

BRENDAN TREMBATH: Mamdouh Habib you called your book ‘The Terrorist Who Wasn’t’.

MAMDOUH HABIB: Yes.

BRENDAN TREMBATH: All this time later do you still say that you were never involved in any intention or any act of terrorism?

MAMDOUH HABIB: What terrorism? Listen, you have to understand this word that comes from George Bush himself. These people they are the terrorists. When they kidnap – someone has been kidnapped and put in electric shock and beaten, that’s a terrorist. What I did in my life to be involved. What terrorist are you talking about? Who’s the terrorist? Who’s the terrorist? When I say the ‘terrorist who wasn’t’ I should say who’s the terrorist in my book. That’s my second book’s going to be ‘Who Is the Terrorist?’

BRENDAN TREMBATH: Mamdouh Habib what’s the next step for you? There was a settlement in 2010.

MAMDOUH HABIB: The settlement was all rubbish. I was under pressure from the Government – I have to settle the case.

BRENDAN TREMBATH: How much did you settle for?

MAMDOUH HABIB: I can’t tell you. That’s one of the issues too – I can’t tell you how much. It’s not the price. It’s not the price for one night, not one night, for one hour with electric shock in Egypt.

BRENDAN TREMBATH: At the end of the day what will you do next?

MAMDOUH HABIB: What will I do next? I’ll fight to the last drip in my life until the people who kidnapped me and punished me for no reason, or torture me, are thrown in jail. Punish, punish for what crime they did to me and my family.

ELIZABETH JACKSON: Mamdouh Habib, speaking there to AM’s Brendan Trembath.

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