Attack on the Serena Hotel 2008 ,Afghanistan
Dear Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade,
Under the Freedom of Information Act 1982, I request access to:
All documents, correspondence, emails, file notes, memoranda, and records held by Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade (DFAT) that relate to any contact, communication, or request for information from the Honours and Awards Secretariat and/or the Department of the Prime Minister and Cabinet (or any officer acting on behalf of either) concerning
The attack on the Serena Hotel, Kabul, Afghanistan on 14 January 2008; and/or
The actions of Australian civilians and/or Australian embassy staff present at the Serena Hotel during the attack on 14 January 2008; and/or
Any inquiry, investigation, or information gathering related to the conduct or actions of individuals at the Serena Hotel on 14 January 2008.
Time period: 1 January 2008 to present date.
This includes but is not limited to: requests for witness statements, incident reports, security assessments, personnel records, commendations, citations, or any other documentation related to the above incident.
Kind regards,
Francis Unmeopa
OFFICIAL
DFAT FOI Reference: LEX 12931
Dear Francis Unmeopa
Thank you for your email dated 30 September 2025, seeking access to
documents under the Freedom of Information Act 1982 (FOI Act).
This email sets out some information about how your request will be
processed by the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade (the department).
Scope of request
You have requested for access to:
Under the Freedom of Information Act 1982, I request access to:
All documents, correspondence, emails, file notes, memoranda, and records
held by Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade (DFAT) that relate to any
contact, communication, or request for information from the Honours and
Awards Secretariat and/or the Department of the Prime Minister and Cabinet
(or any officer acting on behalf of either) concerning
The attack on the Serena Hotel, Kabul, Afghanistan on 14 January 2008;
and/or The actions of Australian civilians and/or Australian embassy staff
present at the Serena Hotel during the attack on 14 January 2008; and/or
Any inquiry, investigation, or information gathering related to the
conduct or actions of individuals at the Serena Hotel on 14 January 2008.
Time period: 1 January 2008 to present date.
This includes but is not limited to: requests for witness statements,
incident reports, security assessments, personnel records, commendations,
citations, or any other documentation related to the above incident.
Timeframe for receiving our decision
We received your request on 30 September 2025, and the 30-day statutory
period for processing your request commenced from the day after that date.
A decision is currently due to you by: 30 October 2025 .
Disclosure log
Please note that, with some exceptions (such as personal information),
documents released under the FOI Act may later be published on the
department’s disclosure log.
Exclusion of officials’ names and contact details
It is the department’s policy to withhold the personal information of
junior staff from ministerial offices and government officials not in the
Senior Executive Service (SES) or equivalent, including their email
addresses and contact numbers, together with all signatures, mobile phone
numbers, departmental inboxes and technical transmission details including
reference numbers.
Duplicate documents and incomplete email chains
Your request will be processed on the basis that you did not intend to
capture duplicate documents or duplicate emails within email chains.
If you require the excluded information or documents, please let us know
at [1][DFAT request email] so the decision-maker may consider; otherwise, we
will take it that you agree to the information and documents being
excluded from the scope of your request.
Personal Information
If we need to consult with other people or organisations regarding your
FOI request, we may need to disclose your personal information (e.g. your
name). When we consult it may be apparent that you have made a request,
even if we do not disclose your identity. Please let us know if you have
any concerns in this regard. Further information on the way the department
handles personal information is accessible via our privacy policy.
Should you require any further information, please do not hesitate to
contact us by reply email.
Kind Regards
DFAT FOI Team
_______________________________
Freedom of Information Section
Public Interest Law Branch | Regulatory and Legal Policy Division
Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade
[2]dfat.gov.au | [3]X | [4]Facebook | [5]Instagram | [6]LinkedIn
© Brooke Rigney-Lively (2024)
We acknowledge the Traditional Custodians of Country throughout Australia,
and their continuing connection to land, waters and community. We pay our
respects to all First Nations peoples, their cultures and to their Elders,
past, present and emerging
OFFICIAL
DFAT FOI Reference: LEX 12931
Dear Francis Unmeopa
Thank you for your email dated 30 September 2025, seeking access to
documents under the Freedom of Information Act 1982 (FOI Act).
This email sets out some information about how your request will be
processed by the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade (the
department).
Scope of request
You have requested for access to:
Under the Freedom of Information Act 1982, I request access to:
All documents, correspondence, emails, file notes, memoranda, and records
held by Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade (DFAT) that relate to any
contact, communication, or request for information from the Honours and
Awards Secretariat and/or the Department of the Prime Minister and Cabinet
(or any officer acting on behalf of either) concerning
The attack on the Serena Hotel, Kabul, Afghanistan on 14 January 2008;
and/or The actions of Australian civilians and/or Australian embassy staff
present at the Serena Hotel during the attack on 14 January 2008; and/or
Any inquiry, investigation, or information gathering related to the
conduct or actions of individuals at the Serena Hotel on 14 January 2008.
Time period: 1 January 2008 to present date.
This includes but is not limited to: requests for witness statements,
incident reports, security assessments, personnel records, commendations,
citations, or any other documentation related to the above incident.
If it emerges that the scope of your request is unclear or is too large
for processing, the department will contact you to discuss re-scoping the
request.
Timeframe for receiving our decision
We received your request on 30 September 2025, and the 30-day statutory
period for processing your request commenced from the day after that date.
A decision is currently due to you by: 30 October 2025.
Charges
Please note that the department may issue charges for processing FOI
requests. If applicable, we will advise you of any relevant charges when
we are in a position to estimate the resources required to process your
request.
Disclosure log
Please note that, with some exceptions (such as personal information),
documents released under the FOI Act may later be published on the
department’s disclosure log.
Exclusion of officials’ names and contact details
It is the department’s policy to withhold the personal information of
junior staff from ministerial offices and government officials not in the
Senior Executive Service (SES) or equivalent, including their email
addresses and contact numbers, together with all signatures, mobile phone
numbers, departmental inboxes and technical transmission details including
reference numbers.
Duplicate documents and incomplete email chains
Your request will be processed on the basis that you did not intend to
capture duplicate documents or duplicate emails within email chains.
If you require the excluded information or documents, please let us know
at [1][DFAT request email] so the decision-maker may consider; otherwise, we
will take it that you agree to the information and documents being
excluded from the scope of your request.
Personal Information
If we need to consult with other people or organisations regarding your
FOI request, we may need to disclose your personal information (e.g. your
name). When we consult it may be apparent that you have made a request,
even if we do not disclose your identity. Please let us know if you have
any concerns in this regard. Further information on the way the department
handles personal information is accessible via our privacy policy.
Should you require any further information, please do not hesitate to
contact us by reply email.
Kind Regards
DFAT FOI Team
_______________________________
Freedom of Information Section
Public Interest Law Branch | Regulatory and Legal Policy Division
Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade
[2]dfat.gov.au | [3]X | [4]Facebook | [5]Instagram | [6]LinkedIn
© Brooke Rigney-Lively (2024)
We acknowledge the Traditional Custodians of Country throughout Australia,
and their continuing connection to land, waters and community. We pay our
respects to all First Nations peoples, their cultures and to their Elders,
past, present and emerging
OFFICIAL
DFAT FOI Reference: LEX 12931
Dear Francis Unmeopa
We are writing to you to seek your agreement to providing the department
with an extension of 15 calendar days to process your FOI request in
accordance with section 15AA of the FOI Act.
This would mean that a decision would then be due to you by: Friday 14
November 2025.
Background
The department has experienced delays in searching for and retrieving
documents potentially relevant to the scope of your request due to the
large number of line areas who were required to search for documents.
The additional time will enable the department to finalise its processes
and provide you with an outcome.
Please be assured that we will continue to process your request as quickly
as possible and will provide an outcome to you as soon as it is
available.
Timeframe
We would be grateful if you could please reply to our request by:
Wednesday 22 October 2025.
If we do not hear from you, we may apply to the Office of the Australian
Information Commissioner for an extension to the statutory timeframe.
Should you have any questions, please to contact us by reply email.
Kind Regards
DFAT FOI Team
_______________________________
Freedom of Information Section
Public Interest Law Branch | Regulatory and Legal Policy Division
Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade
[1]dfat.gov.au | [2]X | [3]Facebook | [4]Instagram | [5]LinkedIn
© Brooke Rigney-Lively (2024)
We acknowledge the Traditional Custodians of Country throughout Australia,
and their continuing connection to land, waters and community. We pay our
respects to all First Nations peoples, their cultures and to their Elders,
past, present and emerging
From: FOI
Sent: Wednesday, 15 October 2025 8:11 AM
To: Francis Unmeopa <[FOI #13744 email]>
Subject: Your DFAT FOI Request - Acknowledgement - LEX 12931
[SEC=OFFICIAL]
OFFICIAL
DFAT FOI Reference: LEX 12931
Dear Francis Unmeopa
Thank you for your email dated 30 September 2025, seeking access to
documents under the Freedom of Information Act 1982 (FOI Act).
This email sets out some information about how your request will be
processed by the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade (the
department).
Scope of request
You have requested for access to:
Under the Freedom of Information Act 1982, I request access to:
All documents, correspondence, emails, file notes, memoranda, and records
held by Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade (DFAT) that relate to any
contact, communication, or request for information from the Honours and
Awards Secretariat and/or the Department of the Prime Minister and Cabinet
(or any officer acting on behalf of either) concerning
The attack on the Serena Hotel, Kabul, Afghanistan on 14 January 2008;
and/or The actions of Australian civilians and/or Australian embassy staff
present at the Serena Hotel during the attack on 14 January 2008; and/or
Any inquiry, investigation, or information gathering related to the
conduct or actions of individuals at the Serena Hotel on 14 January 2008.
Time period: 1 January 2008 to present date.
This includes but is not limited to: requests for witness statements,
incident reports, security assessments, personnel records, commendations,
citations, or any other documentation related to the above incident.
If it emerges that the scope of your request is unclear or is too large
for processing, the department will contact you to discuss re-scoping the
request.
Timeframe for receiving our decision
We received your request on 30 September 2025, and the 30-day statutory
period for processing your request commenced from the day after that date.
A decision is currently due to you by: 30 October 2025.
Charges
Please note that the department may issue charges for processing FOI
requests. If applicable, we will advise you of any relevant charges when
we are in a position to estimate the resources required to process your
request.
Disclosure log
Please note that, with some exceptions (such as personal information),
documents released under the FOI Act may later be published on the
department’s disclosure log.
Exclusion of officials’ names and contact details
It is the department’s policy to withhold the personal information of
junior staff from ministerial offices and government officials not in the
Senior Executive Service (SES) or equivalent, including their email
addresses and contact numbers, together with all signatures, mobile phone
numbers, departmental inboxes and technical transmission details including
reference numbers.
Duplicate documents and incomplete email chains
Your request will be processed on the basis that you did not intend to
capture duplicate documents or duplicate emails within email chains.
If you require the excluded information or documents, please let us know
at [6][DFAT request email] so the decision-maker may consider; otherwise, we
will take it that you agree to the information and documents being
excluded from the scope of your request.
Personal Information
If we need to consult with other people or organisations regarding your
FOI request, we may need to disclose your personal information (e.g. your
name). When we consult it may be apparent that you have made a request,
even if we do not disclose your identity. Please let us know if you have
any concerns in this regard. Further information on the way the department
handles personal information is accessible via our privacy policy.
Should you require any further information, please do not hesitate to
contact us by reply email.
Kind Regards
DFAT FOI Team
_______________________________
Freedom of Information Section
Public Interest Law Branch | Regulatory and Legal Policy Division
Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade
[7]dfat.gov.au | [8]X | [9]Facebook | [10]Instagram | [11]LinkedIn
© Brooke Rigney-Lively (2024)
We acknowledge the Traditional Custodians of Country throughout Australia,
and their continuing connection to land, waters and community. We pay our
respects to all First Nations peoples, their cultures and to their Elders,
past, present and emerging
Dear DFAT FOI Team,
I have no issue with your request for an extension of time and aggree to your revised due date for a decision of Friday 14 November 2025.
kind regards
Francis Unmeopa
OFFICIAL
DFAT FOI Reference: LEX 12931
Dear Francis Unmeopa
We are writing to seek your views as to whether you are minded to withdraw
your request.
We are of the understanding that you have sent a similar request to the
Australian Federal Police.
Request for extension
Our department has experienced significant difficulties in obtaining the
documents you seek, due to the age of the documents.
As such, we would like to seek your agreement to providing the department
with an extension of 15 calendar days to process your FOI request in
accordance with section 15AA of the FOI Act.
The extra time will allow for our team to finalise your request in a
timely manner.
Please be assured that we will continue to process your request as quickly
as possible and will provide an outcome to you as soon as it is
available.
We would be grateful if you could please reply to our request by: Tuesday
11 November 2025.
If we do not hear from you, we may apply to the Office of the Australian
Information Commissioner for an extension to the statutory timeframe.
Should you have any questions, please to contact us by reply email.
Kind Regards
DFAT FOI Team
_______________________________
Freedom of Information Section
Public Interest Law Branch | Regulatory and Legal Policy Division
Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade
[1]dfat.gov.au | [2]X | [3]Facebook | [4]Instagram | [5]LinkedIn
© Brooke Rigney-Lively (2024)
We acknowledge the Traditional Custodians of Country throughout Australia,
and their continuing connection to land, waters and community. We pay our
respects to all First Nations peoples, their cultures and to their Elders,
past, present and emerging
OFFICIAL
DFAT FOI Reference: LEX 12931
Dear Francis Unmeopa
Please find attached correspondence regarding your Department of Foreign
Affairs and Trade FOI request.
Kind Regards
DFAT FOI Team
_______________________________
Freedom of Information Section
Public Interest Law Branch | Regulatory and Legal Policy Division
Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade
[1]dfat.gov.au | [2]X | [3]Facebook | [4]Instagram | [5]LinkedIn
© Brooke Rigney-Lively (2024)
We acknowledge the Traditional Custodians of Country throughout Australia,
and their continuing connection to land, waters and community. We pay our
respects to all First Nations peoples, their cultures and to their Elders,
past, present and emerging
From: FOI
Sent: Monday, 10 November 2025 10:30 AM
To: Francis Unmeopa <[FOI #13744 email]>
Subject: RE: [EXTERNAL] Your DFAT FOI Request - Acknowledgement - LEX
12931 [SEC=OFFICIAL]
OFFICIAL
DFAT FOI Reference: LEX 12931
Dear Francis Unmeopa
We are writing to seek your views as to whether you are minded to withdraw
your request.
We are of the understanding that you have sent a similar request to the
Australian Federal Police.
Request for extension
Our department has experienced significant difficulties in obtaining the
documents you seek, due to the age of the documents.
As such, we would like to seek your agreement to providing the department
with an extension of 15 calendar days to process your FOI request in
accordance with section 15AA of the FOI Act.
The extra time will allow for our team to finalise your request in a
timely manner.
Please be assured that we will continue to process your request as quickly
as possible and will provide an outcome to you as soon as it is
available.
We would be grateful if you could please reply to our request by: Tuesday
11 November 2025.
If we do not hear from you, we may apply to the Office of the Australian
Information Commissioner for an extension to the statutory timeframe.
Should you have any questions, please to contact us by reply email.
Kind Regards
DFAT FOI Team
_______________________________
Freedom of Information Section
Public Interest Law Branch | Regulatory and Legal Policy Division
Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade
[6]dfat.gov.au | [7]X | [8]Facebook | [9]Instagram | [10]LinkedIn
© Brooke Rigney-Lively (2024)
We acknowledge the Traditional Custodians of Country throughout Australia,
and their continuing connection to land, waters and community. We pay our
respects to all First Nations peoples, their cultures and to their Elders,
past, present and emerging
Dear Aaron and DFAT FOI section ,
Thank you for your Consultation notice and points contained within. I acknowledge the volume of documents and I will revise my request. I was not seeking that and I see now that my initial request was far to broad and I apologise for that. I will have my revised request for documents to you within the coming days.
Kind regards
Francis Sony Graham Unmeopa
OFFICIAL
DFAT FOI Reference: LEX 12931
Dear Francis Unmeopa
Thank you for your email dated 17 November 2025.
Updated communication
It appears that you are now responding with a different email address.
Please provide confirmation that you wish for the department to send any
future correspondence regarding your request to: [1][email address].
Revised scope of your request
As indicated in your email, you have revised the scope of your request for
access to:
All correspondence between the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade and
the Honours and Awards Secretariat and/or the Department of the Prime
Minister and Cabinet (including Mr Peter Rush, Assistant Secretary, Awards
and Culture Branch, or any officer acting on behalf of those agencies)
relating to bravery nominations for Australian personnel involved in the
attack on the Serena Hotel, Kabul, Afghanistan on 14 January 2008,
specifically:
· DFAT correspondence to PM&C/Honours and Awards Secretariat
initiating or supporting bravery nominations
· Requests from PM&C/Honours and Awards Secretariat to DFAT officers
for witness statements and/or information about the conduct and/or actions
of Australian personnel during the attack
· Responses provided by DFAT officers to such requests
· Follow-up correspondence related to the investigation of any
bravery nominations for this incident
· Final decisions or determinations communicated between the
agencies regarding the bravery nominations
Time period: 1 January 2008 to present date.
This request focuses exclusively on correspondence between DFAT and
PM&C/Honours and Awards Secretariat related to the investigation of
bravery nominations arising from the 14 January 2008 attack, and excludes
all internal DFAT correspondence.
Request to extend the consultation period
We would like to request for your agreement to extend the consultation
period under section 24AB(5) of the FOI Act.
This time will allow us to consult all the relevant branches within the
department to undertake new searches based on your revised scope and
conduct necessary assessments to finalise your request.
An extension of the consultation period under section 24AB(5) of the FOI
Act means that the statutory clock to process your request will remain
paused until Tuesday 25 November 2025.
After Tuesday 25 November 2025, the statutory clock to process your
request will resume, with 3 calendar days remaining. A decision will then
be due to you by: Friday 28 November 2025.
Please be advised that during this time, our team may contact you to
discuss further revisions to the scope of your request, which may affect
the date for when a decision is due which may further extend the
consultation period.
We will advise you accordingly should the date of your decision be
affected.
Next steps
We would be grateful for your response to our request to extend your
consultation period by: 17:00 Tuesday 18 November 2025.
We wish to assure you that our team is continuing process your request and
is endeavouring to provide you with an outcome as soon as possible.
Please don’t hesitate to contact us should you have any questions or
concerns.
Kind Regards
DFAT FOI Team
_______________________________
Freedom of Information Section
Public Interest Law Branch | Regulatory and Legal Policy Division
Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade
[2]dfat.gov.au | [3]X | [4]Facebook | [5]Instagram | [6]LinkedIn
© Brooke Rigney-Lively (2024)
We acknowledge the Traditional Custodians of Country throughout Australia,
and their continuing connection to land, waters and community. We pay our
respects to all First Nations peoples, their cultures and to their Elders,
past, present and emerging
From: Francis Unmeopa <[email address]>
Sent: Monday, 17 November 2025 10:36 AM
To: FOI <[DFAT request email]>
Subject: [EXTERNAL] : FOI LEX 12931 - Revised Scope of Request
CAUTION: This email originated from outside the organisation. Do not click
links or open attachments unless you recognise the sender.
Dear Aaron and FOI Section,
Re: FOI Reference LEX 12931 / File Reference 25/28921
Thank you for your letter regarding my FOI request and the opportunity to
revise its scope.
I wish to revise my request to the following:
Revised Request:
All correspondence between the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade and
the Honours and Awards Secretariat and/or the Department of the Prime
Minister and Cabinet (including Mr Peter Rush, Assistant Secretary, Awards
and Culture Branch, or any officer acting on behalf of those agencies)
relating to bravery nominations for Australian personnel involved in the
attack on the Serena Hotel, Kabul, Afghanistan on 14 January 2008,
specifically:
· DFAT correspondence to PM&C/Honours and Awards Secretariat
initiating or supporting bravery nominations
· Requests from PM&C/Honours and Awards Secretariat to DFAT officers
for witness statements and/or information about the conduct and/or actions
of Australian personnel during the attack
· Responses provided by DFAT officers to such requests
· Follow-up correspondence related to the investigation of any
bravery nominations for this incident
· Final decisions or determinations communicated between the
agencies regarding the bravery nominations
Time period: 1 January 2008 to present date.
This request focuses exclusively on correspondence between DFAT and
PM&C/Honours and Awards Secretariat related to the investigation of
bravery nominations arising from the 14 January 2008 attack, and excludes
all internal DFAT correspondence.
Please confirm receipt of this revised request and advise if you require
any clarification.
Kind regards,
Francis Unmeopa
References
Visible links
1. mailto:[email address]
2. https://www.dfat.gov.au/
https://www.dfat.gov.au/
3. https://x.com/dfat
https://x.com/DFAT
4. https://www.facebook.com/dfat.gov.au/
https://www.facebook.com/dfat.gov.au/
5. https://www.instagram.com/dfat/?hl=en
https://www.instagram.com/dfat/?hl=en
6. https://au.linkedin.com/company/departme...
https://au.linkedin.com/company/departme...
Dear DFAT FOI Team,
My apologies for having to use the other email address this morning. There was an issue with a server for the past 48 hours and I did not wish to delay you any further.It is is now back online, and I would prefer to continue using my original email address to maintain the complete email chain for this request. Please send all future correspondence to this address.
I also agree to your request for an extension of the consultation period until Tuesday 25 November 2025.
I have worked to narrow the scope of my request significantly and trust it is now sufficiently focused to be processed. I believe the revised request should capture substantially fewer documents as it focuses exclusively only on correspondence between DFAT and PM&C/Honours and Awards Secretariat regarding the bravery nominations investigation, and excludes all internal DFAT correspondence.
However, I remain available to discuss any concerns you may have about the scope.
Thank you for your assistance in processing this request.
Kind regards
Francis Unmeopa
OFFICIAL
DFAT FOI Reference: LEX 12931
Dear Francis Unmeopa
Thank you for your email dated 17 November 2025.
Confirming that as below, the consultation period was extended until 25
November 2025.
Request for extension
We are writing to seek your agreement of an additional 15 calendar days to
process your request in accordance with section 15AA of the FOI Act.
This would mean that a decision would then be due to you by: Mondy 15
December 2025.
The department has experienced delays in searching for and retrieving
documents potentially relevant to the scope of your request due the age of
the documents.
The additional time will enable the department to finalise its processes
and provide you with an outcome.
Please be assured that we will continue to process your request as quickly
as possible and will provide an outcome to you as soon as it is
available.
Timeframe
We would be grateful if you could please reply to our request by: Monday 1
December 2025.
If we do not hear from you, we may apply to the Office of the Australian
Information Commissioner for an extension to the statutory timeframe.
Should you have any questions, please to contact us by reply email.
Kind Regards
DFAT FOI Team
_______________________________
Freedom of Information Section
Public Interest Law Branch | Regulatory and Legal Policy Division
Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade
[1]dfat.gov.au | [2]X | [3]Facebook | [4]Instagram | [5]LinkedIn
© Brooke Rigney-Lively (2024)
We acknowledge the Traditional Custodians of Country throughout Australia,
and their continuing connection to land, waters and community. We pay our
respects to all First Nations peoples, their cultures and to their Elders,
past, present and emerging
Dear DFAT FOI Team,
Thank you for your email dated 17 November 2025 requesting an additional 15-day extension to process my FOI request.
I agree to the extension, with the revised decision date of Monday, 15 December 2025.
However, I note this is the second extension request for this matter, and I understand that two other government departments have already provided their responses to the same RFI. I trust this will be the final extension and that the department will prioritise completing this request by the agreed deadline.
That said, I do appreciate your continued efforts to process this matter.
Kind regards,
Francis Unmeopa
OFFICIAL
DFAT FOI Reference: LEX 12931
Dear Franci Unmeopa
Thank you for agreeing to providing the department with an additional
extension to extend the consultation period.
Exclusion of documents
You revised your request for access to:
1. DFAT correspondence to PM&C/Honours and Awards Secretariat initiating
or supporting bravery nominations
2. Requests from PM&C/Honours and Awards Secretariat to DFAT officers for
witness statements and/or information about the conduct and/or actions
of Australian personnel during the attack
3. Responses provided by DFAT officers to such requests
4. Follow-up correspondence related to the investigation of any bravery
nominations for this incident
5. Final decisions or determinations communicated between the agencies
regarding the bravery nominations
We have received advice regarding point 4 of your request, that document
searches have captured your previous FOI requests and all correspondence
that relates to such requests.
As such, we would be grateful for your confirmation of whether you would
like for these documents to be included in your current request, noting
that this may potentially enliven practical refusal grounds due to the
volume of documents.
To assist us in processing your request in a timely manner, please provide
a response by: COB Tuesday 9 December 2025.
Kind Regards
DFAT FOI Team
_______________________________
Freedom of Information Section
Public Interest Law Branch | Regulatory and Legal Policy Division
Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade
[1]dfat.gov.au | [2]X | [3]Facebook | [4]Instagram | [5]LinkedIn
© Brooke Rigney-Lively (2024)
We acknowledge the Traditional Custodians of Country throughout Australia,
and their continuing connection to land, waters and community. We pay our
respects to all First Nations peoples, their cultures and to their Elders,
past, present and emerging
Dear DFAT FOI Team,
Thank you for your email dated 08DEC25 seeking clarification regarding the scope of my request.
I confirm that I wish to EXCLUDE from the scope of my request:
All FOI requests that I have personally submitted to DFAT (including the current request LEX 12931 and any prior requests)
All correspondence between myself and DFAT regarding the processing, consultation, or administration of any FOI requests I have submitted
Any internal DFAT correspondence generated solely as a result of processing my FOI requests
To be clear, my request is intended to capture only:
Historical inter-agency correspondence between DFAT and PM&C/Honours and Awards Secretariat that occurred in the normal course of government business regarding bravery nominations arising from the 14 January 2008 Serena Hotel attack. This includes correspondence from 2008 onwards that existed independently of, and prior to, my FOI inquiries.
I do NOT seek:
Documents created as a result of my FOI requests
Correspondence I have already sent or received
Internal DFAT emails discussing how to respond to my FOI requests
I trust this clarification will assist in processing my request efficiently and avoid any practical refusal grounds based on volume.
Please confirm receipt of this clarification and advise if you require any further information.
And I appreciate the department's thorough approach to this matter and look forward to receiving the decision by 15 December 2025.
Kind regards,
Francis Unmeopa
OFFICIAL
DFAT FOI Reference: LEX 12931
Dear Franic Unmeopa
Thank you for your continued patience and assistance.
Please be advised that the department is continuing to process your
request.
Public Holidays and government shutdown
Due to the upcoming holiday and government shutdown period between
Christmas Day and New Year's Day (25 December 2025 – 4 January 2026
inclusive), we are seeking your agreement to an extension of 30 calendar
days to process your request (section 15AA of the FOI Act).
This would mean a decision would be due to you by 17 January 2026.
This is because the relevant line areas have advised that they are
experiencing significant difficulty in retrieving and assessing the
documents due to the age of the documents. Furthermore, we consider that
other Commonwealth Agencies may need to be consulted prior to the release
of the documents to you.
Please be rest assured we will endeavour to finalise your matter as soon
as possible.
We would be grateful if you could please confirm your agreement by
reply email by: COB Monday 15 December 2025.
Should you agree to this extension, we will notify the Office of the
Australian Information Commissioner (OAIC) in accordance with our
reporting obligations.
If we do not hear from you, we may apply to the Office of the Australian
Information Commissioner for an extension to the statutory timeframe.
Should you have any questions, please to contact us by reply email.
Kind Regards
DFAT FOI Team
_______________________________
Freedom of Information Section
Public Interest Law Branch | Regulatory and Legal Policy Division
Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade
[1]dfat.gov.au | [2]X | [3]Facebook | [4]Instagram | [5]LinkedIn
© Brooke Rigney-Lively (2024)
We acknowledge the Traditional Custodians of Country throughout Australia,
and their continuing connection to land, waters and community. We pay our
respects to all First Nations peoples, their cultures and to their Elders,
past, present and emerging
Dear DFAT FOI Team,
Thank you for your email dated 12 December requesting an additional 30-day extension to 17 January 2026.
I agree to this extension.
I acknowledge the genuine challenges presented by the upcoming holiday and government shutdown period between Christmas Day and New Year's Day.
However, I trust this will be the final extension required. This matter has now been in process for over 2.5 months, and I have cooperated fully by refining the scope of my request twice at the department's request and responding promptly to all clarification requests.
Given the narrowly-focused nature of the request - inter-agency correspondence between DFAT and PM&C/Honours and Awards Secretariat regarding bravery nominations for a specific incident - I am confident the department will be able to finalise this matter by the revised deadline of 17 January 2026.
I appreciate your continued efforts to process this request and look forward to receiving the department's decision in the new year.
In the meantime, I wish you and your colleagues a safe and Merry Christmas and a restful holiday period.
Kind regards,
Francis Unmeopa
OFFICIAL
Dear Francis Unmeopa
Please see attached a decision I response to your FOI request.
Kind regards
Freedom of Information Section
Public Interest Law Branch| Regulatory and Legal Policy Division
Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade
E: [DFAT request email]
[1]dfat.gov.au | [2]X | [3]Facebook | [4]Instagram | [5]LinkedIn
© Brooke Rigney-Lively (2024)
We acknowledge the Traditional Custodians of Country throughout Australia,
and their continuing connection to land, waters and community. We pay our
respects to all First Nations peoples, their cultures and to their Elders,
past, present and emerging.
This email and any attachments may contain confidential information or
legal advice over which legal professional privilege can be claimed. Such
privilege is not waived and you should ensure that, in your handling of
the advice, you avoid waiving privilege. Please consult the author of the
advice if unsure about appropriate handling.
Dear DFAT FOI team,
Hi,
Regarding your 03/FEB/2026 correspondence , it contains the single word 'OFFICIAL' only.
Yours sincerely,
Francis Unmeopa
OFFICIAL
Dear Francis Unmeopa,
We have received an apparent request for an internal review of this FOI
request from a different domain/email address.
When responding to that address we received an automated message that the
email account does not exist.
If the internal review request was from you, please confirm. If you did
not request an internal review, please disregard this email.
Best regards
Freedom of Information Section
Public Interest Law Branch | Regulatory and Legal Policy Division
Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade
[1]dfat.gov.au | [2]X | [3]Facebook | [4]Instagram | [5]LinkedIn
© Brooke Rigney-Lively (2024)
We acknowledge the Traditional Custodians of Country throughout Australia,
and their continuing connection to land, waters and community. We pay our
respects to all First Nations peoples, their cultures and to their Elders,
past, present and emerging.
This email and any attachments may contain confidential information or
legal advice over which legal professional privilege can be claimed. Such
privilege is not waived and you should ensure that, in your handling of
the advice, you avoid waiving privilege. Please consult the author of the
advice if unsure about appropriate handling.
From: FOI
Sent: Wednesday, 14 January 2026 5:39 PM
To: Francis Unmeopa <[FOI #13744 email]>
Subject: Your DFAT FOI Request - Decision - LEX 12931 [SEC=OFFICIAL]
OFFICIAL
Dear Francis Unmeopa
Please see attached a decision I response to your FOI request.
Kind regards
Freedom of Information Section
Public Interest Law Branch| Regulatory and Legal Policy Division
Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade
E: [DFAT request email]
[6]dfat.gov.au | [7]X | [8]Facebook | [9]Instagram | [10]LinkedIn
© Brooke Rigney-Lively (2024)
We acknowledge the Traditional Custodians of Country throughout Australia,
and their continuing connection to land, waters and community. We pay our
respects to all First Nations peoples, their cultures and to their Elders,
past, present and emerging.
This email and any attachments may contain confidential information or
legal advice over which legal professional privilege can be claimed. Such
privilege is not waived and you should ensure that, in your handling of
the advice, you avoid waiving privilege. Please consult the author of the
advice if unsure about appropriate handling.
Dear DFAT FOI team,
Thank you for your email of 05FEB26.
I can confirm that I did submit a request for internal review of decision LEX 12931 through the RightToKnow portal.
Regarding the email address issue: The name used on my email is fsgunemopa (note the spelling). I sign my correspondence with my correct surname spelling "Unmeopa" - it's likely you may have attempted to reply to an address with this spelling, which would not exist. This has occurred before and I apologize for any confusion.
I submitted the internal review request because:
On 16 January 2026, I sent an email to your office highlighting that I possess correspondence (Angela Tierney's letter dated 2 November 2011) that falls directly within the scope of my FOI request, contradicting the decision that "no documents exist." Angela Tierneys letter was attached to my initial 16 January email.
I sought to avoid the need for an internal review , hence the use of my private email , however received no response.
As the 30-day deadline was approaching, I lodged the formal internal review request through RightToKnow to preserve my right of appeal.
Unless you feel it can be resolved with the information previously supplied in my 16 January email, then I would be grateful if you could proceed with the internal review, taking into account both my formal request and the substantive concerns raised in my 16 January 2026 email.
Thank you for your time,
Yours sincerely,
Francis Unmeopa
OFFICIAL
Dear Francis Sonny Unmeopa
Thank you for your message dated 6 February 2026 and clarification about email addresses. Please see below the message we sent in response to your internal review request on 3 February 2026, which was not delivered.
Apologies for the delay in responding to your query dated 15 January 2025 relating to LEX 12931. To assist you, we have been trying to obtain as much information as possible on records retention and records destruction in the department.
There are several reasons why the letter from Angela Tierney to Peter Rush dated 2 November 2011 was not located during our searches for records relating to the Serena Hotel bombing:
1. It appears that the letter from Angela Tierney in your possession was a reference letter in response to correspondence from Peter Rush in the department of the Prime Minister and Cabinet (PM&C). The letter appears to have been written in personal capacity, and not in the capacity as the Deputy Head of Mission in Buenos Aires. The letter therefore may not have been a Commonwealth record required to be retained as proof of the department's business or required to be retained as part of the department's corporate records program. It therefore was not saved by the relevant departmental officers in the Buenos Aires records.
2. It appears from the letter that the author was posted to Buenos Aires at the time of writing in 2011. You requested documents relating to the bombing in Kabul in 2008 and not a letter from the Deputy Head of Mission at Buenos Aires Post. Therefore, the department had no reason to search Buenos Aires post for relevant documents. In any event, a subsequent search of the Buenos Aires dataset has not located this letter and while it is possible that the letter was saved on a personal network drive in 2011, we cannot search those.
I note that you have now lodged an internal review on the following grounds:
1. Review whether Angela Tierney's correspondence file was searched
2. Confirm whether embassy records (including Buenos Aires post) were included in your searches
3. Advise whether Peter Rush's initial letter to Ms Tierney (20 October 2011) exists in DFAT holdings
The above should answer 1 and 2 of your internal review request but with regard to part 3, if you would kindly provide a copy of Peter Rush's letter, we can provide reasons why this letter was not identified in our searches.
We also request that you withdraw your internal review as an internal review will almost certainly not provide further information regarding the documents you have inquired about.
Alternatively, you may lodge a new FOI request relating specifically to correspondence with Peter Rush by specified officers.
Kind regards
Freedom of Information Section
Public Interest Law Branch | Regulatory and Legal Policy Division
Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade
dfat.gov.au | X | Facebook | Instagram | LinkedIn
© Brooke Rigney-Lively (2024)
We acknowledge the Traditional Custodians of Country throughout Australia, and their continuing connection to land, waters and community. We pay our respects to all First Nations peoples, their cultures and to their Elders, past, present and emerging.
This email and any attachments may contain confidential information or legal advice over which legal professional privilege can be claimed. Such privilege is not waived and you should ensure that, in your handling of the advice, you avoid waiving privilege. Please consult the author of the advice if unsure about appropriate handling.
Dear DFAT FOI Section,
Thank you for your response dated 9 February 2026.
Before withdrawing my internal review request, I wish to clarify one point:
Ms Tierney's letter dated 2 November 2011 does not appear to have been written in a personal capacity.
The letter:
Is signed "Deputy Head of Mission, Buenos Aires"
Responds to an official Honours and Awards investigation
References witness statements she had "previously provided twice to DFAT"
Discusses her official conduct during the Serena Hotel attack while serving as Chargé d'Affaires
This appears to be official correspondence created in her capacity as a DFAT officer, not personal correspondence.
Additionally, my FOI request sought correspondence "between... PM&C and DFAT regarding bravery nominations for Australian personnel involved in the attack on the Serena Hotel" - this should have captured correspondence from any DFAT officer about the incident, regardless of their posting location at the time of writing.
However, I accept that the records may not be held in DFAT's systems if Ms Tierney corresponded directly with PM&C without filing copies in DFAT Canberra.
I will withdraw my internal review request and direct my enquiries to PM&C, as they must hold the records I am seeking.
Thank you for your assistance.
Yours sincerely,
Francis Unmeopa
OFFICIAL
Dear Francis Unmeopa,
We acknowledge your withdrawal of the internal review request.
Best regards
Freedom of Information Section
Public Interest Law Branch | Regulatory and Legal Policy Division
Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade
dfat.gov.au | X | Facebook | Instagram | LinkedIn
© Brooke Rigney-Lively (2024)
We acknowledge the Traditional Custodians of Country throughout Australia, and their continuing connection to land, waters and community. We pay our respects to all First Nations peoples, their cultures and to their Elders, past, present and emerging.
This email and any attachments may contain confidential information or legal advice over which legal professional privilege can be claimed. Such privilege is not waived and you should ensure that, in your handling of the advice, you avoid waiving privilege. Please consult the author of the advice if unsure about appropriate handling.