AMNESTY International was last night forced into an embarrassing admission that the group lobbied the Australian government on behalf of terrorist Man Monis after he “conned” them into thinking he was a top-level Iranian spy. Damning evidence of Amnesty’s involvement was brought to light when The Daily Telegraph unearthed a letter from their then refugee co-ordinator to the Department of Immigration, supporting the Martin Place gunman’s application for refugee status. SPY LIES OPENED THE DOOR TO LINDT CAFE KILLER MAGISTRATE SPOOKED BY MAN HARON MONIS POLICE CONVINCED MONIS WAS HUMAN BOMB Man Haron Monis (brown jacket) at a rally in 2009 in Martin Place, just metres from where Man Haron Monis (brown jacket) at a rally in 2009 in Martin Place, just metres from where he terrorised 18 hostages during last month’s siege. The letter was written in April, 1997, and told the government Monis deserved a protection visa because he had written poetry critical of the Iranian government, was a cleric, had involvement with the Iranian Ministry of Intelligence and had connections with “high-level individuals”. Amnesty said these factors put Monis at risk if he was to return to Iran. He was granted refugee status in 2001. “Had I written the letter it would have been different,” Amnesty International refugee co-ordinator Dr Graham Thom said last night. Martin Place became a floral tribute to Tori Johnson and Katrina Dawson following the sie Martin Place became a floral tribute to Tori Johnson and Katrina Dawson following the siege. Picture: Cole Bennetts/Getty Images. “Amnesty’s processes have certainly changed … today when I get evidence we will only state something as a fact when we’re able to verify it. I’m not sure why (Monis’s claims) were taken at face value.” Dr Thom admitted Amnesty represented Monis’s oral evidence as fact to the government. He said Monis was able to produce a number of names that “clearly matched the names we had” of Iranian officials. Monis originally approached Amnesty under the name Mohammed Hassan Manteghi. When he returned to the organisation seeking assistance in 2010, as Sheikh Man Haron Monis, he was turned back. Amnesty did not know he was the same person they assisted in 1997. Man Haron Monis approached Amnesty International under a number of aliases. Man Haron Monis approached Amnesty International under a number of aliases. Dr Thom said Amnesty was partly duped by Monis’s level of research and the fact he had published anti-government poetry: “That’s part of any good con. That it’s got a significant amount of truth.” The admission came as chilling photos emerged of Monis rallying in front of Christmas decorations in Martin Place. Monis was snapped at an anti-Israel demonstration on December 3, 2009 — almost exactly five years before he carried out a brazen terrorist attack just metres away. A hostage runs for safety during the Martin Place siege last month. Picture: Adam taylor A hostage runs for safety during the Martin Place siege last month. Picture: Adam taylor A former close friend of Monis last night said he became “pro al-Qaeda” at the same time and even uploaded images of Osama bin Laden to his website. The friend and former employee, who knew Monis in Iran, said the terrorist ran a number of retail businesses in Tehran and was married to the daughter of a general. In correspondence obtained by The Daily Telegraph, Monis claimed he was a relative of Major-General Hassan Firouzabadi and the two shared a “special bond”. Firouzabadi believes in the “annihilation” of Israel and is a supporter of former Iranian president Mahmoud Ahmadinejad.
Posted on: Tue, 06 Jan 2015 23:05:06 +0000
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