UN committee finds Australia exposed Iranian asylum seeker to torture on Manus Island

A UN committee against torture has found that Australia exposed an Iranian asylum seeker to torture and ill-treatment during years in detention, amounting to a breach of international obligations. The man arrived on Christmas Island by boat in 2013 and was transferred to Manus Island in Papua New Guinea, where he remained for about three years.

The committee said he was held in "harsh conditions and subjected to serious violence", including having his throat slit by a security guard. It found he was evacuated to Australia in 2019 for medical treatment but remained in immigration detention for a further three years despite "serious physical and mental health conditions", and was released into the community on a bridging visa in 2022.

In its refutation, Australia argued it did not exercise effective control over facilities in Papua New Guinea, that the complainant received appropriate care, and that his detention in Australia was lawful; the committee rejected those arguments, saying Australia's funding, management and contracting of services on Manus were sufficient to establish jurisdiction, in line with UN human rights committee decisions on Nauru.

Key Topics

World, Committee Against Torture, Australia, Manus Island, Papua New Guinea, Iranian Asylum Seeker