105:. The lawyers sought payment from the Nauruan government. The government passed the Civil Procedures Amendment 2018 in June, which limited, among other things, the maximum legal fees payable per case to US$ 2,231. Judge Geoff Muecke, an Australian judge contracted to hear the Nauru 19's criminal case, ruled the legislation unconstitutional, and demanded the Nauruan government pay the Australian lawyers the full value of US$ 166,606 by 29 June. The payment due date passed without comment by the Nauruan government. In early July, the government announced its intention to appeal the ruling against the Civil Procedures Amendment Act. Justice Minister
117:
of the Nauru 19, to impede them in various ways, notably in employment and travel. The government denied that it was blacklisting Nauru 19 members. Some members of the Nauru 19 feared that even after the trial, they were still subject to discrimination under the blacklist. Former
President Dabwido believed that this blacklist was denying him access to cancer treatment overseas. In response, he sought asylum in Australia in February 2019. The government denied delaying Dabwido's cancer treatment. By 27 March, Dabwido had arrived in Australia for treatment. Dabwido died in May 2019.
143:
charges of assaulting police officers. Two of these defendants were also found guilty of accessing restricted security areas. On 19 December, the Nauru 19 were ultimately sentenced by Judge
Fatiaki to jail, with terms between three and eleven months. Each of them had their sentences reduced due to the delays in the trial, personal circumstances, and the extrajudicial punishment faced in the form of the blacklist. Some were also given reduced sentences due to their age, with two of the Nauru 19 being minors at the time of the offense.
134:
the Nauru 19, Squire
Jeremiah and his cousin Rutherford, had fled to Australia, seeking political asylum there. The retrial of the Nauru 19's case began on 11 November. The Nauru 19 had lost access to their Australian lawyers, and instead, one public defender represented all of 15 of them. The public defender had explained to Judge Fatiaki that it was unreasonable for him to do so. After refusing the Nauru 19 additional legal representation, there was a failed application to have Judge Fatiaki dismissed from the case for bias.
81:
96:. After the High Court sent the matter back to the Supreme Court, the latter extended the prison sentences again. When the three protestors attempted to appeal to the High Court again, the Nauruan government had severed ties with the High Court on 13 March 2018, days before the due date of the appeal. This effectively removed the final possible avenue for appeal from the three protestors.
113:
intention to appeal if such a stay was given. The Nauru 19 were granted a permanent stay by Judge Muecke on 13 September. Two days later, the government had announced plans to file an appeal. Judge Muecke's contract had been terminated after he granted the stay, which Muecke claimed was retaliation against the ruling.
142:
In a verdict delivered on 11 December 2019, the remaining fifteen members of the Nauru 19 were found guilty. Only twelve of them remained in the country to receive their sentence. Eleven defendants were found guilty of rioting, but not of disturbing the legislature. Four defendants were given heavier
116:
In
October 2018, three members of the Nauru 19, Batsiua, Squire Jeremiah, and Joram Joram, had their applications for passports denied, despite having been granted a permanent stay. Justice Muecke had explained that during the trial, there was a blacklist implemented by the government against members
71:
Nineteen protestors were charged with offenses such as serious assault, rioting and disturbing the legislature. The nineteen people charged were
Meshack Akubor, Mathew Batsiua, Pisoni Bop, Job Cecil, Sprent Dabwido, Grace Detageouwa, Estakai Foilape, Mereiya Helstead, Dabub Jeremiah, Daniel Jeremiah,
133:
on the appeals court overturned both the permanent stay and the voiding of the 2018 Criminal
Procedure Amendment Act. The ruling was criticized by Judge Muecke. Also in June, Nauru passed laws which effectively blocked access to international lawyers in Nauruan courts. In September, two members of
27:
in cases related to an anti-government protest in Yaren, Nauru in 2015. They faced a long, delayed trial, with alleged government interference. Initially, the case was thrown out on 13 September 2018. However, the government appealed, overturning the permanent stay. In the subsequent retrial, the
112:
On 30 July 2018, the Nauru 19 asked in court to have the case against them thrown out. Reasons given for this request included the delay to court the case faced earlier, as well as the failure of the government to follow the court order to pay the Nauru 19's lawyers. The government expressed
125:
in
September 2019. President Aingimea held that the Nauruan government had never interfered with the courts. Members of the Nauru 19 found blacklist restrictions to be loosened under Aingimea's administration. Squire Jeremiah was able to get a passport under the new government.
72:
John
Jeremiah, Rutherford Jeremiah, Squire Jeremiah, Joram Joram, Bureka Kakioua, Jacki Kanath, Josh Kepae, Renack Mau, and Piroy Mau. MP Kun denied involvement in the protest and fled to New Zealand in July 2016.
129:
Initially, the newly formed Nauru Court of
Appeals was to hear the government's appeal of the case in December 2018, but the case was delayed until 2019. In June 2019, Judge
904:
593:
169:
480:
99:
After failing to obtain legal representation from Nauru, the Nauru 19 sought it in
Australia, and, in 2016, received a five-person legal team, which represented them
229:
821:
563:
201:
28:
fifteen remaining members of the group were sentenced to a maximum of 11 months in prison in December 2019. All of the protestors were released by April 2020.
68:
and resulted in minor damage to the parliament building. A number of police officers were also injured. Extra police were put on duty following the protests.
964:
260:
992:
345:
64:. These MPs were accused by the government of attempting to destabilize Nauru through the foreign press. The protest eventually spilled into the
877:
733:
677:
452:
849:
88:
In 2016, three of the Nauru 19, John Jeremiah, Josh Kepae, and Job Cecil, plead guilty. After their prison sentences were extended by the
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705:
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650:
398:
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761:
651:"Ex-Nauru president Sprent Dabwido who oversaw detention centre reopening seeks asylum in Australia for cancer treatment"
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44:, attended by hundreds. The protest was in response to the suspension of five opposition MPs since 2014 by the
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146:
By April 2020, all of the Nauru 19 had been released from prison. Batsiua had been the last one released.
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found the amount of money ordered by the court to paid to the Australian lawyers to be excessive.
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170:"Nauru's former president accuses Australia of being complicit in 'political prosecution'"
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53:
49:
41:
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540:
822:"Nauru 19 pair seek asylum in Australia ahead of retrial that lawyers say is rigged"
997:
969:
934:"Nauru 19 found guilty of rioting and unlawful assembly in retrial, defendant says"
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568:
564:"Nauru 19: at least three members denied passports despite court throwing out case"
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174:
106:
61:
45:
965:"Nauru 19 found guilty of rioting and other charges in controversial retrial"
24:
993:"Nauru 19 members jailed over protest against crackdown on opposition MPs"
346:"Nauru 19: Australian judge blasts 'appalling' persecution of protesters"
101:
878:"Nauru 19 members seek political asylum in Australia as retrial begins"
850:"Nauru accused of intentionally obstructing people's access to justice"
36:
On 16 June 2015, there was an anti-government protest outside of the
84:
Sprent Dabwido, former president and one of the Nauru 19 defendants.
79:
289:"Republic of Nauru v. John Jeremiah, Josh Kepae and Job Cecil"
905:"Trenchant criticism as trial for 'Nauru 19' gets underway"
594:"Nauru 19 believe government still operating 'blacklist'"
399:"Nauru govt mum over hefty payment to Australian lawyers"
230:"Nauru opposition MPs still in limbo over suspensions"
481:"Permanent stay for Nauru anti government protestors"
453:"'Nauru 19' in court seeking to have case thrown out"
734:"Nauru's new president contradicts blacklist claim"
678:"Nauru govt says it didn't delay Dabwido treatment"
958:
956:
706:"Sprent Dabwido, former president of Nauru, dies"
790:"Appeal court overturns Nauru 19 permanent stay"
622:"Nauru government denies blacklisting Nauru 19"
92:, they were able to successfully appeal to the
425:"Nauru to appeal unconstitutional law ruling"
261:"Lawyers for "Nauru 19" seek help with costs"
8:
121:succeeded Baron Waqa as president after the
163:
161:
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255:
253:
815:
813:
314:"Roland Kun flees Nauru with NZ passport"
588:
586:
339:
337:
294:. Supreme Court of Nauru. 25 April 2017
155:
202:"Extra cops called in to protect Govt"
196:
194:
192:
932:Stewart, Anthony (11 December 2019).
876:Stewart, Anthony (11 November 2019).
509:"Appeal to be filed in Nauru 19 case"
7:
991:Davidson, Helen (19 December 2019).
963:Davidson, Helen (11 December 2019).
820:Davidson, Helen (10 November 2019).
344:Davidson, Helen (14 November 2019).
649:Ewart, Richard (14 February 2019).
48:government. MPs suspended included
762:"Nauru 19 appeal put back to 2019"
562:Davidson, Helen (3 October 2018).
14:
373:"Nauru judge throws out new law"
848:Ewart, Richard (18 June 2019).
1:
1020:"Last of 'Nauru-19' released"
168:Doherty, Ben (3 April 2018).
16:Group of defendants in Nauru
1085:
94:High Court of Australia
207:The New Zealand Herald
90:Supreme Court of Nauru
85:
1064:Human rights in Nauru
83:
1069:Protests in Oceania
742:. 12 September 2019
517:. 14 September 2018
489:. 13 September 2018
269:. 15 September 2017
52:, former President
913:. 12 November 2019
770:. 13 December 2018
86:
1025:Radio New Zealand
910:Radio New Zealand
795:Radio New Zealand
767:Radio New Zealand
739:Radio New Zealand
711:Radio New Zealand
683:Radio New Zealand
630:. 16 October 2018
627:Radio New Zealand
602:. 16 October 2018
599:Radio New Zealand
514:Radio New Zealand
486:Radio New Zealand
458:Radio New Zealand
430:Radio New Zealand
319:Radio New Zealand
266:Radio New Zealand
235:Radio New Zealand
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686:. 27 March 2019
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1028:. 8 April 2020
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798:. 21 June 2018
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461:. 30 July 2018
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405:. 29 June 2018
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379:. 26 June 2018
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322:. 12 July 2016
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238:. 24 July 2014
221:
210:. 20 June 2017
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131:Daniel Fatiaki
77:
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54:Sprent Dabwido
50:Mathew Batsiua
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10:
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1059:2015 protests
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1054:2015 in Nauru
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541:Freedom House
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433:. 4 July 2018
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1030:. Retrieved
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1002:. Retrieved
998:The Guardian
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970:The Guardian
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915:. Retrieved
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827:The Guardian
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800:. Retrieved
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714:. 9 May 2019
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569:The Guardian
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351:The Guardian
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179:. Retrieved
175:The Guardian
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107:David Adeang
100:
98:
87:
70:
40:building in
35:
20:
18:
1048:Categories
403:Loop Nauru
377:Loop Nauru
150:References
62:Roland Kun
46:Baron Waqa
38:parliament
32:Background
25:defendants
138:Aftermath
939:ABC News
883:ABC News
855:ABC News
656:ABC News
123:election
102:pro bono
66:airfield
21:Nauru 19
537:"Nauru"
1032:6 June
1004:6 June
976:6 June
945:6 June
917:6 June
889:6 June
861:6 June
833:6 June
802:6 June
774:6 June
746:7 June
718:6 June
690:6 June
662:6 June
634:6 June
606:6 June
575:6 June
547:7 June
543:. 2021
521:6 June
493:6 June
465:6 June
437:6 June
409:6 June
383:6 June
357:6 June
326:6 June
298:8 June
273:6 June
242:7 June
214:7 June
181:6 June
60:, and
292:(PDF)
76:Trial
42:Yaren
1034:2023
1006:2023
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19:The
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Text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License. Additional terms may apply.
