‘Sovereign’ Aboriginal activist Jim Everett vows to continue defying court orders

A respected Indigenous elder and political activist has vowed to continue defying orders to appear in court on trespassing charges, claiming Tasmanian courts have “no jurisdiction” over him.

Jim Everett was arrested in a logging vehicle in the Central Highlands on Tuesday, his 82nd birthday, while protecting native forests in the area.

Another 12 protesters complied with police orders to leave the area, but Everett insisted on staying and was subsequently arrested and taken away in a police car.

The Pacana/Palava man is due to appear in court on December 12 but said he will not go “unless they drag me there”.

“Colonial Australia does not have the jurisdiction to arrest or try me on charges of upholding Palawa laws in the country and my actions are to challenge the lie of my purported citizenship,” he said.

“Palawa has been under colonialism for 221 years and has never entered into any agreement with the colonial governments of Australia or Tasmania to become Australian citizens.”

The activist claims he is “testing the colonial court,” which he believes “has no jurisdiction” over his actions to protect the land.

Speaking on the Parliament Lawns in Hobart on Tuesday afternoon after being released from New Norfolk police station, Everett said the government “knew” it could stop local deforestation but had failed to do so.

He said they also “never entered into an agreement” with Indigenous people on citizenship.

“I will be in this court when they bring me there, and then we will really find out the truth.”

A Tasmanian government spokesman said it respected people’s right to protest “peacefully and lawfully”.