Urewera firearms trial to begin

Posted by karere under Maori News

Nearly five years after the so-called Urewera terror raids, four people will go on trial tomorrow on firearms charges.
But the case that sparked protests from those who said the police were disregarding human and civil rights remains controversial.

Tonight the Urewera defendants have been welcomed in Auckland’s Waipapa Marae by hundreds of supporters.
Their trial has been set down for three months but activist John Minto says if the High Court has any sense it will not take that long.

“I don’t think it will take anywhere near three months because I think while the police will take a long time to present their case there won’t be a great deal of substance for the defendants to have to respond to,” says Mr Minto.
The infamous case started in October 2007 with armed police raids across the country after an undercover operation had revealed what police described as a ‘paramilitary training camp’ deep in the Ureweras.

Seventeen people were arrested and initially charged under the terrorism suppression act but those charges were replaced with others under the arms act.

The case sparked protests from the very beginning with Sue Bradford calling it “the worst attack on human and civil rights in this country.”

The police said only half the story was being told and the case took a crucial turn late last year when the Supreme Court ruled that video surveillance evidence being used was inadmissible as it was illegally obtained.

Because of this, charges against 13 of the accused were dropped and now only four are left to face trial.

[source]

Read all the news [here]