From: judy
Saturday, 6 January 2001 23:14
To: OVOP
Subject: update

Just thought l'd drop you a line to let you know that not much is happening. I have been gathering some information for dad and leaving it at the prison for him to read. He is putting together a bail application on his own which l think he will present to the Federal Court on a writ of Habeas Corpus. I am not sure when this will be.........he wants to get together all the information that is needed to better his chances. Since Legal Aid will not fund his case he will have to represent himself.

As you could appreciate mum is taking all this rather hard now. The past few months, especially the last 3 months, are starting to take their toll. I think that when the farm was sold it really made her realise that not only was her home of 38 years gone but so had everything that dad and she had worked for......all their lives. Just all gone.......absolutely nothing left to show for years and years of labour and commitment. Mum is without her lifetime partner, living out of a darn suitcase and has no income besides a pittance of a pension. What a way to be at nearly 60 years of age! And do you think those bastards that threw her out, jailed her husband, plastered the circumstances surrounding the eviction all over the papers, removed what little possessions they both had left and then returned them a week later damaged and broken, took possession of my brother's property that was on the farm and refused for 6 weeks to release the items........do you think they care? I bet they all had a wonderful Christmas with their families......not giving a thought to what their actions have caused to my parents and family.

Yes, we did put in a tender to buy the property back but the successful tender went to someone who's family lives local and who obviously has more money than sense. This person was made aware of the circumstances surrounding the sale of the property but he was of the opinion that if the property was being offered for sale it was fair game to anyone.

I am sure that you realize that l, like so many others, have children to look after (5 in all) a dairy farm to try and keep viable, which in this present climate is quite a battle in itself, help dad with research both through the internet and the State Library and also run errands for him which he can't do from within the prison system. Just make a few phone calls........when one's phone bill is running up near the $1000 per quarter one has to draw the line. Write letters then? I don't have the time to write letters.......it has taken me nearly an hour to type this one out....just continuous interruptions. So, I am not having a whinge; I am just trying to explain my situation in all of this and to say that I am doing as much as I can under the circumstances. John, my husband, and the kids have all been great throughout this ordeal......helping out on the farm when I am away, which is quite a bit of late, cooking, cleaning, moving out of their bedrooms so that mum has a place to stay.......etc etc etc.

I have written emails to every politician in Victoria, sent letters to all the local newspapers and the national newspapers but only one, yes one, paper would print the letters that I wrote. It seems that dad's plight was only of public interest when the SOG evicted him and mum, incarcerated him and charged him with criminal offences.

From: One Voice - One People, Human Rights Defenders [mailto:ovop@sydney.accsoft.com.au]

Sent: Tuesday, 6 February 2001 07:32

To: Richard William Wynne; Ronald Charles Wilson; Kimberley Arthur Wells; John Adrian Vogels; Matthew (Matt) Viney; Ian Douglas Rezise; The Honourable Johnstone (John) William Thwaites; Murray Hamilton Thompson; Robert Einar Stensholt; Barry Edward Hector Steggall; Garry Howard Spry; Ernest Ross Smith; Mrs Helen Jean Shardey; George Seitz; Russell Irwin Savage; Peter Julian Ryan; Gary James Rowe; Anthony (Tony) Gerard Robinson; John Ingles Richardson; Antony (Tony) Fulton Plowman; The Honourable Bronwyn Jane Pike; Wayne Phillips; Mrs Inga Peulich; Victor John Perton; Alister Irvine Paterson; The Honourable John Pandazopoulos; Ms Karen Marie Overington; Donato Antonio Nardella; The Honourable Dr Denis Vincent Naphtine; Terence Wynne Mulder; Bruce Allan Mildenhall; Ian John Maxfield; Noel John Maughan; Noel John Maddigan; The Honourable Robert Roy Cameron Maclellan; Andrew John McIntosh; Ms Andrea Lea McCall; Stephen James McArthur; Hurtle Reginald Lupton; Peter James Loney; Ms Jennifer Margaret Lindell; Hong Lim; Mr John Lenders; Michael Andrew Leighton; Geoffrey Graeme Leigh; Tornesi, Telmo Languiller; Craig Anthony Cuffe Langdon

Subject: Brian Fyffe - Human Rights Activist jailed for 5 months without a trial

Importance: High

Dear elected Representative of the People,

Unfortunately holidays are over so quickly. I hope that you enjoyed a nice break and hopefully a relaxing holiday with your family? Maybe you could now spare a thought for Brian Fyffe and his family who did not have such a great time! (Below please find two e-mail up-dates we received from by his daughter Judy)

Why are you keeping a 63-year-old man in ill health in prison?

In 1989 Brian Fyffe was jailed for 10 months. Held in custody without a trial. The charges were finally dropped but the most powerful opponent he could be confronted with in Victoria that is the State of Victoria has denied him his right for an effective remedy for the abuse he suffered.

On 20 December 2000 Brian Fyffe's bail application has been refused again (see e-mail below) because he is considered to be a danger to the public. The fact that the police withdrew their statement in court that a machine gun had been mounted to the front door of Brian Fyffe's home did not make any difference to the court. Brian Fyffe has been found guilty in the absence of any evidence exactly as in 1989.

How can Brian Fyffe defend himself against the State of Victoria in a legal system whose purpose is not about finding the truth?

There is ample explanation why he was unable to obtain justice in the Australian Legal system and why the courts miscarried. As we all know, judges are human beings and as such are influenced by their personal values. I am convinced you have sufficient knowledge that miscarriage of justice is a daily event in Australia. Who is responsible for such crime against people in Australia?

Please note: At the time of the hearing of his case, which may be on 13 March 2001, Brian Fyffe will have spend more than 5 months in prison without having had a trial. Why?? What crime has he committed that would warrant to keep him jailed?

As an elected representative of the people are you prepared to take responsibility for keeping this man in jail? Can you really afford to sit back and watch how the human rights of this man and his family are blatantly violated?

Yours faithfully,

Brigitte Straulino

President

ONE VOICE ONE PEOPLE, Human Rights Defenders

For updated information please visit our website: http://onevoice.freeservers.com/