A Secret Prisoner - Witness J
Donation protected
I cannot tell you my real name, and I cannot tell you where I worked. I can tell you I'm known to Australia by the moniker 'Witness J'.
In early 2018, and on three separate occasions, I begged senior intelligence officers to help me with an emerging mental health crisis that was consuming me. At the time I was serving overseas in an undercover counter-terrorism role.
Help never came.
Ordinarily, anyone can directly obtain medical assistance themselves, though I was prohibited by clear internal policy from pursuing unsanctioned psychiatric help, because I worked for Australia's most secretive intelligence organisation.
When I subsequently suffered a severe mental health breakdown, I "mishandled classified information", and a process was initiated that would ultimately destroy my life. Unprecedentedly in Australia, I was tried, convicted and sentenced to jail in total secrecy. Only the diligent efforts of a friend helped my situation to come to light.
After spending fifteen years defending this country in flashpoints like East Timor, Afghanistan and Iraq - ten in uniform as an army officer, and five in a suit, as a civilian intelligence officer - I found myself a convicted serious offender with no job, post traumatic stress disorder, an opaque criminal record that is stopping me from obtaining employment, and a story I cannot even legally share with my partner, because she's not an Australian citizen.
How I have been treated by the Australian government is not worthy of a functioning and healthy democracy. Even now, journalists tell me of their fear in publishing additional information about my situation.
In June 2020, my memoir, 'Here, There are Dragons', will be published, documenting my time as a secret prisoner, but not what brought me to prison. As a result of the proceeds of crime act, I cannot profit from the proceeds of this book, and have already publicly committed myself to donating, under the supervision of the AFP, all profits to a suitable mental health charity.
Throughout my criminal trial and incarceration in 2018-19, I was ably represented by a private legal team. Today, once again as a person with their liberty, and having completed my 455 day sentence, I have a number of issues that still need to be addressed to allow me to continue with a normal life, and to seek justice against my former employer. Fortuitously, two lawyers, both of whom are former veterans, have agreed to represent me pro bono.
My journey to seek justice is only beginning in earnest, and I hope my efforts, coupled with the formal investigation from the Inspector-General of Intelligence and Security, will throw light on a secretive organisation that has thus far eluded responsibility for their actions, and been enabled by a new and terrifying Australian security state.
I have no right to ask Australia for financial assistance, but I feel it is a necessity in my current circumstances. Any contributions will be put to my outstanding AUD41k criminal legal costs, my future legal costs for actions against my former employer, and my humble living expenses, in that order. My dire circumstances are such, that the Returned Services League generously paid my last three months of rent. I am in trouble.
Whether you contribute or not, I'm appreciative of the interest that Australians from all walks of life have shown me, and the renewed sense of outrage that this country does not have the right to deny its most committed citizens mental health support from the injuries it imposes. Nor does it have the right to imprison those same people in complete secrecy.
Grateful your assistance.
My very best wishes,
'J'
In early 2018, and on three separate occasions, I begged senior intelligence officers to help me with an emerging mental health crisis that was consuming me. At the time I was serving overseas in an undercover counter-terrorism role.
Help never came.
Ordinarily, anyone can directly obtain medical assistance themselves, though I was prohibited by clear internal policy from pursuing unsanctioned psychiatric help, because I worked for Australia's most secretive intelligence organisation.
When I subsequently suffered a severe mental health breakdown, I "mishandled classified information", and a process was initiated that would ultimately destroy my life. Unprecedentedly in Australia, I was tried, convicted and sentenced to jail in total secrecy. Only the diligent efforts of a friend helped my situation to come to light.
After spending fifteen years defending this country in flashpoints like East Timor, Afghanistan and Iraq - ten in uniform as an army officer, and five in a suit, as a civilian intelligence officer - I found myself a convicted serious offender with no job, post traumatic stress disorder, an opaque criminal record that is stopping me from obtaining employment, and a story I cannot even legally share with my partner, because she's not an Australian citizen.
How I have been treated by the Australian government is not worthy of a functioning and healthy democracy. Even now, journalists tell me of their fear in publishing additional information about my situation.
In June 2020, my memoir, 'Here, There are Dragons', will be published, documenting my time as a secret prisoner, but not what brought me to prison. As a result of the proceeds of crime act, I cannot profit from the proceeds of this book, and have already publicly committed myself to donating, under the supervision of the AFP, all profits to a suitable mental health charity.
Throughout my criminal trial and incarceration in 2018-19, I was ably represented by a private legal team. Today, once again as a person with their liberty, and having completed my 455 day sentence, I have a number of issues that still need to be addressed to allow me to continue with a normal life, and to seek justice against my former employer. Fortuitously, two lawyers, both of whom are former veterans, have agreed to represent me pro bono.
My journey to seek justice is only beginning in earnest, and I hope my efforts, coupled with the formal investigation from the Inspector-General of Intelligence and Security, will throw light on a secretive organisation that has thus far eluded responsibility for their actions, and been enabled by a new and terrifying Australian security state.
I have no right to ask Australia for financial assistance, but I feel it is a necessity in my current circumstances. Any contributions will be put to my outstanding AUD41k criminal legal costs, my future legal costs for actions against my former employer, and my humble living expenses, in that order. My dire circumstances are such, that the Returned Services League generously paid my last three months of rent. I am in trouble.
Whether you contribute or not, I'm appreciative of the interest that Australians from all walks of life have shown me, and the renewed sense of outrage that this country does not have the right to deny its most committed citizens mental health support from the injuries it imposes. Nor does it have the right to imprison those same people in complete secrecy.
Grateful your assistance.
My very best wishes,
'J'
Organizer
Witness J
Organizer
Harman, ACT