An Indigenous man who renounced his Australian citizenship to head a self-declared nation has been arrested in the dock after refusing to acknowledge his former name in court for the second day in a row.

Murrumu Walubara Yidindji – formerly the press gallery journalist Jeremy Geia – was first arrested on a warrant on Sunday to face charges related to his alleged use of number plates and a driver’s licence issued by the unrecognised Yidindji government in May.

He was remanded in custody on Monday after refusing to answer his name in the Cairns magistrate court and on Tuesday repeated his stance that he is “Murrumu in the right persona”.

Indigenous activist Murrumu refuses to recognise court’s legitimacy, supporter says – link to video

Murrumu became embroiled in an argument with the magistrate, Robert Spencer, about why he should identify himself when he did not know Spencer’s name.

After repeated attempts to have him acknowledge that he was also known as Geia, Spencer ordered that Murrumu be taken back into custody, telling him to turn around and put his hands behind his back.

“Are you engaging in slavery right now?” Murrumu asked an officer in court.

“I’m cuffing you for our safety,” the officer replied.

Spencer subsequently ordered Murrumu to be released and adjourned the matter.

“I’ll take it on that basis that effectively you are not Jeremy David Joseph Geia,” he said.

Murrumu had previously told the court his tribe did not fall under Australian law and he had been illegally detained.

A Yidindji nation supporter, Brynn Mathews, said the arrest was “totally over the top”.

“He wasn’t offering any resistance or any violence. He was just refusing to accept the right of the magistrate to ask his name until the magistrate identified himself,” he said outside court.

“He doesn’t accept the right of the Australian courts to rule over him because they … never had the participation of the traditional owners of this country.”



The matter was due to return to court on Tuesday afternoon.