Sydney man faces "terrorist" trial for compiling book

The two charges against Khazaal constitute a direct attack on the right to free speech. Essentially, he is on trial in the New South Wales Supreme Court for advocating and writing about terrorism, not for being involved in terrorist acts, even in the most indirect manner. He is charged with knowingly collecting or making a document connected with terrorism and inciting a person to commit a terrorist act. If found guilty, he could be jailed for 25 years.

Since Khazaal was arrested in mid-2004just months before a federal election in which the so-called war on terror was used as a distraction from mounting discontent with the Howard governmenthis prosecution has been riddled with far-reaching violations of basic legal and civil rights. These have included denial of access to key documents and other evidence against him, closed hearings, secret and anonymous witnesses, confidential court rulings and an attempt to remove his lawyers from the case.