ID :
163749
Thu, 02/24/2011 - 12:02
Auther :
Shortlink :
http://m.oananews.org//node/163749
The shortlink copeid
Govt concerned for two Aussies in Libya
(SYDNEY) Feb 24 The federal government is fighting for access to two Australians detained by Libyan authorities.
Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade (DFAT) Secretary Dennis Richardson on Thursday said the government was concerned for the two men.
One - a dual national - was arrested in December, before the current political crisis.
The other was believed to have been taken from a Tripoli hotel on February 21.
"He and a British national," had been detained, Mr Richardson told a Senate estimates hearing on Thursday.
"Neither his company or ourselves have been able to make contact with him, nor have we been yet able to ascertain his whereabouts."
The department has received reports the man was arrested for sending text messages about anti-government demonstrations.
Foreign Minister Kevin Rudd said Australian officials had not been granted access to either man.
Mr Rudd on Thursday summoned the Libyan ambassador to press him on the issue.
"I reminded him of Libya's obligations under the Vienna Convention on Consular Relations to advise of the detention of a foreign national and allow consular access to Australian consular officials," Mr Rudd told parliament.
"I conveyed Australia's expectation that immediate consular access be granted to these men in accordance with these international obligations."
Mr Rudd said he would visit Geneva this week to attend a special session of the UN Human Rights Commission and would urge prompt action by the international human rights community.
There were still 47 Australians registered as being in Libya, Mr Rudd said.
Thirty-five of them have requested evacuation but the government has not been able to contact the remaining 12.
Another 12 Australians were on board a US-chartered ferry waiting to depart Tripoli bound for Malta while a further four were on a privately chartered ferry.
Mr Rudd also called on the Libyan regime to grant visas to Australian consular staff to help with evacuations.
Australia currently has just one official in Libya who is assisted by local staff.
The government is not running its own evacuations but is finding spots for Australians on evacuations organised by the United States, Britain, Canada and Turkey.
DFAT said Australians wanting to flee the violence would have several options available to them on Thursday, local time, including Canadian and British charter flights.
Britain and Turkey were also planning to run an evacuation out of Benghazi.
Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade (DFAT) Secretary Dennis Richardson on Thursday said the government was concerned for the two men.
One - a dual national - was arrested in December, before the current political crisis.
The other was believed to have been taken from a Tripoli hotel on February 21.
"He and a British national," had been detained, Mr Richardson told a Senate estimates hearing on Thursday.
"Neither his company or ourselves have been able to make contact with him, nor have we been yet able to ascertain his whereabouts."
The department has received reports the man was arrested for sending text messages about anti-government demonstrations.
Foreign Minister Kevin Rudd said Australian officials had not been granted access to either man.
Mr Rudd on Thursday summoned the Libyan ambassador to press him on the issue.
"I reminded him of Libya's obligations under the Vienna Convention on Consular Relations to advise of the detention of a foreign national and allow consular access to Australian consular officials," Mr Rudd told parliament.
"I conveyed Australia's expectation that immediate consular access be granted to these men in accordance with these international obligations."
Mr Rudd said he would visit Geneva this week to attend a special session of the UN Human Rights Commission and would urge prompt action by the international human rights community.
There were still 47 Australians registered as being in Libya, Mr Rudd said.
Thirty-five of them have requested evacuation but the government has not been able to contact the remaining 12.
Another 12 Australians were on board a US-chartered ferry waiting to depart Tripoli bound for Malta while a further four were on a privately chartered ferry.
Mr Rudd also called on the Libyan regime to grant visas to Australian consular staff to help with evacuations.
Australia currently has just one official in Libya who is assisted by local staff.
The government is not running its own evacuations but is finding spots for Australians on evacuations organised by the United States, Britain, Canada and Turkey.
DFAT said Australians wanting to flee the violence would have several options available to them on Thursday, local time, including Canadian and British charter flights.
Britain and Turkey were also planning to run an evacuation out of Benghazi.
