An environmental activist has been sentenced to two more weeks in jail after being convicted of trespassing in Tasmania’s Styx forest.
Ali Alishah, 40, this week pleaded guilty in the Hobart Magistrates Court to two counts of trespassing during incidents in Sustainable Timber Tasmania logging coupes in February.
On one occasion, Alishah locked himself to an excavator with a bike lock and padlock.
Magistrate Jackie Hartnett sentenced him to four months’ imprisonment, with one month suspended, saying his actions were politically motivated.
Bob Brown from the Bob Brown Foundation said prior to sentencing that it would be “unconscionable” to keep the “harmless and intelligent” Alishah in jail any longer.
“Ali Alishah is the first citizen to be defending his actions against the draconian anti-protest laws in Tasmania,” the group said.
“Ali was held in prison for the last two months after he would not comply with bail conditions that restricted his ability to protest logging activities.”
They urged Tasmania to repeal anti-protest laws, arguing that the only harm suffered by protesters occurred “when they’ve been assaulted by loggers”.
“Ali Alishah passively sitting next to a stationary logging machine with a lock-on around his neck is not risking harm to himself or others,” they said.
“The solution to removing the risk of harm from Tasmania’s native forests is to remove the logging machines and to stop the firebombing of forests and wildlife-killing that is carried out every day.”
Alishah has been in custody since his arrest and will become eligible for parole on May 19.
