Fed: Vanstone welcomes Quassey's jailing

AAP General News (Australia)
12-28-2003
Fed: Vanstone welcomes Quassey's jailing

Immigration Minister AMANDA VANSTONE has welcomed the jailing of people smuggler ABU
QUASSEY by an Egyptian court.

She says it must bring some comfort to the families of the 353 victims from Afghanistan
and Iraq who drowned on their way to Australia two years ago.

QUASSEY -- also known as MOATAZ ATTIYA MOHAMED HASSAN -- has been found guilty of manslaughter
for organising the ill-fated voyage of Siev X, which sunk on its way to Australia in October
2001, killing the 353 asylum seekers.

A Cairo court has sentenced him to five years jail for homicide through negligence
and another two for aiding illegal migration.

Senator VANSTONE says accidents happen, but criminal negligence would be very hard to live with.

She says the victims' families must feel a least some justice has been done.

And she says QUASSEY'S jailing proves people smugglers will be caught, no matter where
they come from.

The federal government unsuccessfully sought in April to extradite QUASSEY to Australia
to answer people smuggling charges following his deportation from Indonesia to Egypt.





(Eds: Changing keyword from Egypt Hassan overnight)

AAP RTV sm/jmt

KEYWORD: QUASSEY (CANBERRA)

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