Media Release
06 April 2004
Zaoui Case Now Causing Diplomatic Incidents
New Zealand First leader Rt Hon Winston Peters has asked the Government to explain how it intended to respond to
Belgium’s complaint about the way its justice system has been disparaged during the drawn out Ahmed Zaoui case.
Mr Peters was responding to the Foreign Affairs Minister’s confirmation that the Belgium Government took exception to
the dismissive attitude of the findings of Belgium’s Court of Appeal in the Zaoui case by the Refugee Status Appeals
Authority (RSAA).
“Of course Belgium would take umbrage at our lowly appeals authority questioning the legitimacy of its upper court
system. The handling of the Zaoui case only adds insult to the already scandalous and increasingly expensive farce being
allowed to gather momentum in New Zealand.
“The fact is that Zaoui was found guilty in both French and Belgium courts of terrorist and passport offences. The
appeals authority tried to explain away these convictions by questioning the validity of these overseas jurisdictions
and in its lack of wisdom has created an international incident.”
Mr Peters said that Article 1F (b) of the Refugee Convention stipulated quite clearly that where refugee claimants
committed a serious crime outside the country of refuge (New Zealand), they were automatically disqualified from being
granted refugee status.
“To try and undermine this by questioning the legitimacy of such well established overseas courts is reaching a new low
and must be stopped before our international relationships are put at further risk.
“Zaoui and his ilk are not worth it,” said Mr Peters.
ENDS