6 Apr 2018

Nauru Govt accused of using judiciary to persecute opponents

From , 3:05 pm on 6 April 2018

A former justice minister in Nauru says the government is using the judicial system to try and persecute its political opponents.

Mathew Batsiua, who is one of 19 facing charges over an anti government protest, says the Nauru Government has made this clear by the secretive way it ended the opportunity to appeal to the Australian High Court.

The government terminated the relationship before the end of last year and it has taken effect in the past week, despite no local appeal court being in place.

The government is claiming the termination was done in a public way but Mr Batsiua told Don Wiseman that even the Chief Justice, Filimone Jitoko, had no idea it had happened.

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Photo: 123 RF