We seek your urgent intervention to protect the right to freedom of speech, expression, political communication and of religion for six Australian citizens who face up to seven years in jail for a peaceful protest in which they were praying and playing musical instruments.

In September 2016, several hundred Australians of diverse ages, professions and creeds gathered in Alice Springs to mark the 50th anniversary of the signing of the Pine Gap Agreement.

As part of the peaceful protests near the facility, five Christians prayed and played a musical lament, regarding the role of Pine Gap in war-fighting in Afghanistan, Pakistan, Yemen, and Syria. They were arrested.

The peaceful and symbolic ceremonies conducted by Margaret Pestorius, Tim Webb, Franz Dowling, Andrew Paine, Jim Dowling, as well as Paul Christie (arrested in a separate incident), were intended to bear witness to the death and suffering of civilians as a result of United States military operations, including drone assassinations, facilitated by surveillance conducted at Pine Gap.

Since their peaceful protests, more evidence has emerged detailing the role of Pine Gap in the activities that concerned the Peace Pilgrims. It implicates Australia in extrajudicial drone assassinations in countries with which we are not at war, in nuclear weapons targeting and in illegal mass surveillance.

Three months after the protest, you authorised the prosecution of these concerned citizens for ‘unlawful entry’ under the Defence Special Undertakings Act 1952 (Cth).

That legislation was drafted at the height of the Cold War to secure areas for British nuclear testing, and it permits prosecutions to be held in secret, and for records of hearings to be destroyed, imposing penalties of up to $42,000 and 7 years in jail.

This prosecution occurs as Australia prepares to serve on the UN Human Rights Council and when UN Rapporteurs have criticised policies, laws and actions of your government that undermine freedom of expression, freedom of assembly and the right to protest. These are fundamental civil rights, and they are profoundly important when governments are engaged in the sort of conduct which Pine Gap facilitates.

Five of the defendants are devout Christians. Their faith impelled them to give voice to the teachings of peace and love for humanity and creation found in the Bible.

In this case, where Australian citizens were doing no more than praying and peacefully expressing dissent, prosecuting them is not only grossly inappropriate but a shocking waste of court resources.

We, the undersigned, urge you to exercise your discretion to direct this punitive, disproportionate and expensive prosecution be discontinued before the matter comes to court in Alice Springs on 13 November 2017.

  • Jennifer Robinson, human rights lawyer, Doughty Street Chambers
  • Ben Oquist, Executive Director, The Australia Institute
  • Antony Loewenstein, independent journalist and author
  • Alex Kelly, documentary filmmaker
  • Melinda Taylor, international criminal lawyer
  • Rebecca Peters AO
  • Julian Burnside AO QC
  • Scott Ludlam​, writer, graphic designer, activist​
  • Asher Wolf, journalist, Cryptoparty founder
  • Dr Giordano Nanni, ​founder ​Juice Media
  • Kellie Tranter, lawyer and human rights activist
  • Benedict Coyne, President, Australian Lawyers for Human Rights
  • Anthony Kelly, Executive Officer, Flemington & Kensington Community Legal Centre Inc.
  • Dr Helen Caldicott, President, Beyond Nuclear
  • Professor Brian Martin, University of Wollongong
  • John Pilger, journalist and filmmaker ​
  • Mark Zirnsak, Director, Justice & International Mission, Uniting Church​
  • Elizabeth O’Shea, lawyer
  • Professor Tilman Ruff AM
  • Father Peter Maher OAM
  • Archie Law, Chair, Sydney Peace Foundation
  • Tim Lo Surdo, founding director, Democracy in Colour
  • Richard Tanter, Honorary Professorial Fellow, University of Melbourne
  • Emeritus Professor Joseph A. Camilleri OAM
  • Paddy Manning, journalist
  • Dr Sue Wareham OAM
  • Professor Emeritus Stuart Rees AM, University of Sydney
  • Annette Brownlie, Chairperson IPAN
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  • Shirley Winton, Spirit of Eureka (Victoria)
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  • Donna Mulhearn, writer and activist
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  • Dr Sal Humphreys, Media Studies, University of Adelaide
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  • Greg Barns , Barrister, Former National President Australian Lawyers Alliance
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  • Senator Richard Di Natale, Leader of the Australian Greens and Senator for Victoria
  • Adam Bandt MP, Acting Co-Deputy Leader, Australian Greens and Federal Member for Melbourne
  • Senator Janet Rice, Senator for Victoria
  • Senator Lee Rhiannon, Senator for NSW
  • Senator Rachel Siewert, Acting Co-deputy Leader Australian Greens, Senator for Western Australia
  • Senator Peter Whish-Wilson, Senator for Tasmania
  • Senator Sarah Hanson-Young, Senator for South Australia
  • David Pledger, artist, curator
  • Jo Vallentine, People for Nuclear Disarmament, W.A.
  • Rob Pyne MP, Independent Member for Cairns
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59 Ms Jonathan Pilbrow Alice Springs Peace Action Think Tank
58 Ms Steffi Leedham
57 Ms patricia zinn WILPF Women's International League of Peace and Freedom)
56 Ms Hanna Navara Frontlineunity
55 Ms Claudio Pompili
54 Ms Clinton Hohneck The revolution
53 Ms Dallas de Brabander Singer/songwriter activist
52 Ms Sarah Isaacs Secretary FoE FNQ
51 Ms Dimity Hawkins
50 Ms Jeffrey Cantor
49 Ms Daniel Brown Rite of Strings
48 Ms Deborah Beagley
47 Ms Terry Spackman
46 Ms Jennifer Cropley
45 Ms Rebecca Horridge Peacebus
44 Ms Zelda Grimshaw Mothers of Intervention
43 Ms Father Claude Mostowik msc Pax Christi Australia
42 Ms Jeannie Rea
41 Ms Dr Jason MacLeod The University of Sydney
40 Ms Laurie MacSween
39 Ms karen allen leycester
38 Ms Faith Coleman
37 Ms Ilo Guerrero
36 Ms Graeme Dunstan Peacebus.com
35 Ms Daya Pepper
34 Ms Zachary Van Haaften
33 Ms Scarlett Squire
32 Ms Peri Coleman Quaker
31 Ms Justin Tutty BaseWatch
30 Ms Adam Dempsey
29 Ms Kathleen McLeod
28 Ms Bruno Menage
27 Ms Jordan Brown Freelance Journalist
26 Ms Sarah Harvey
25 Ms Ron Witt
24 Ms Tony Robertson
23 Ms Vivienne Porzsolt Jews against the Occupation
22 Ms Paul Heywood
21 Ms Helen Wornham Salvation Army
20 Ms Winnifred Louis
19 Ms Christa Oberwalder
18 Ms Jessie Smith Stary Norton Halphen
17 Ms margot huthnance buddhist
16 Ms Erin Reece
15 Ms Fiona Kerr Teacher
14 Ms Janine Cowie
13 Ms Jasmine Payget
12 Ms Jessminka Sharp Dept of Education
11 Ms Harry Kerr Pax Christi Victoria
10 Ms Debra King Rise Up Singing
9 Ms Jo Inkpin
8 Ms Anne Lanyon Member Catholic Nonviolence Australia Group
7 Ms diana taurian
6 Ms Alison Croggon Writer
5 Ms Lynne Saville RN, Member MAPW, Greens Councillor Willoughby
4 Ms Seamus Campbell
3 Ms Fran O’Toole social worker
2 Ms Cate Adams Wage Peace
1 Ms Glenn Todd Director, Dvize Creative

Sign on Here

Brandis Letter

We seek your urgent intervention to protect the right to freedom of speech, expression, political communication and of religion for six Australian citizens who face up to seven years in jail for a peaceful protest in which they were praying and playing musical instruments.

In September 2016, several hundred Australians of diverse ages, professions and creeds gathered in Alice Springs to mark the 50th anniversary of the signing of the Pine Gap Agreement.

As part of the peaceful protests near the facility, five Christians prayed and played a musical lament, regarding the role of Pine Gap in war-fighting in Afghanistan, Pakistan, Yemen, and Syria. They were arrested.

The peaceful and symbolic ceremonies conducted by Margaret Pestorius, Tim Webb, Franz Dowling, Andrew Paine, Jim Dowling, as well as Paul Christie (arrested in a separate incident), were intended to bear witness to the death and suffering of civilians as a result of United States military operations, including drone assassinations, facilitated by surveillance conducted at Pine Gap.

Since their peaceful protests, more evidence has emerged detailing the role of Pine Gap in the activities that concerned the Peace Pilgrims. It implicates Australia in extrajudicial drone assassinations in countries with which we are not at war, in nuclear weapons targeting and in illegal mass surveillance.

Three months after the protest, you authorised the prosecution of these concerned citizens for ‘unlawful entry’ under the Defence Special Undertakings Act 1952 (Cth).

That legislation was drafted at the height of the Cold War to secure areas for British nuclear testing, and it permits prosecutions to be held in secret, and for records of hearings to be destroyed, imposing penalties of up to $42,000 and 7 years in jail.

This prosecution occurs as Australia prepares to serve on the UN Human Rights Council and when UN Rapporteurs have criticised policies, laws and actions of your government that undermine freedom of expression, freedom of assembly and the right to protest. These are fundamental civil rights, and they are profoundly important when governments are engaged in the sort of conduct which Pine Gap facilitates.

Five of the defendants are devout Christians. Their faith impelled them to give voice to the teachings of peace and love for humanity and creation found in the Bible.

In this case, where Australian citizens were doing no more than praying and peacefully expressing dissent, prosecuting them is not only grossly inappropriate but a shocking waste of court resources.

We, the undersigned, urge you to exercise your discretion to direct this punitive, disproportionate and expensive prosecution be discontinued before the matter comes to court in Alice Springs on 13 November 2017.

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