Australians Detained Abroad (ADA) is a not for profit organisation that provides support to Australian families who have loved ones detained overseas.
Our Founder
The ADA initiative is spearheaded by retired Lieutenant Colonel Dan Mori of the United States Marine Corps (USMC). Lt. Col. Mori identified the lack of an independent organization dedicated to systematically assisting Australians, which led to the founding of ADA. Our office welcomes inquiries from across Australia.
Retired Lt. Col. Mori’s distinguished legal career began after his graduation from the Western New England School of Law in 1994. He served the U.S. Marine Corps in various capacities, including defense counsel, Military Justice Officer, and Special Assistant U.S. Attorney.
In 2003 Dan was appointed by the U.S Department of Defence to represent Guantanamo Bay detainee David Hicks. His exemplary work in this role earned him an honorary membership from the Australian Bar Association in 2007. In 2009 was promoted to the rank of lieutenant colonel and made a senior military judge. Dan has lived in Melbourne and was appointed a special senior fellow at the Monash University Faculty of Law.
What We Do
At Australians Detained Abroad, we serve as a primary resource for Australian families dealing with the detention of a loved one overseas. Our mission is to navigate families through this difficult and often overwhelming journey by providing essential information, means-tested financial aid, advocacy, and connections to a network of experts in diplomatic, legal, and academic sectors.
Our organisation is uniquely equipped to assist families of detainees, leveraging our extensive knowledge and practical experience in addressing the complex legal, practical, and emotional challenges associated with international detention.
We are committed to offering continuous support to families until their cases are fully resolved.
Eligibility for our services requires the applicant to be an Australian citizen or permanent resident residing in Australia, and either:
(i) has a family member detained overseas; or
(ii) is the subject of a criminal investigation in a foreign legal jurisdiction which could lead to extradition to a foreign country.
Our services are provided free of charge. If you are facing such a situation and need guidance, we encourage you to reach out to us to seek assistance.
Please note that if the detainee is not themselves an Australian citizen or permanent resident Australians Detained Abroad will be limited in the amount of support it can provide. Please be aware that Australians Detained Abroad is unable to provide legal advice to detainees or family members.
Our Values
Australians Detained Abroad is an independent, non-political organisation that operates as a neutral broker of services. We are dedicated to ensuring that our clients receive access to justice no matter what their financial circumstances or resources and that the human rights of Australians detained abroad are protected.
ADA monitors and advocates for law reform in detention related fields. In achieving these goals we are guided by the highest standards of ethical conduct and probity.