The Department of Immigration and Border Protection has announced an escaped detainee on Christmas Island was found dead outside the detention centre’s perimeter.
The man has been identified by refugee advocates as Fazel Chegeni. He had been granted status as a refugee and was in the process of attaining a protection visa, when he was involved in a fight in another detention centre. After being charged, he was detained on Christmas Island.
It is reported that Chegeni attempted to escape by climbing a tall, unelectrified fence, but it is currently unclear if his death was the result of injuries sustained by falling during the climb.
In a brief media release, The Department maintains that the detention centre “remains calm” and that “support services are available to all detainees and staff.”
Advocate Ian Rintoul said Chegeni “was suffering the effects of long term arbitrary detention,” and that he “told other detainees he could no longer stand being in detention and just wanted ‘to go outside’”.
“This is another needless detention death… T
he delay in processing and releasing him is inexcusable.”
Christmas Island’s detention centre has recently been described as a facility underpinned by “secrecy, segregation and trauma”, and Chegeni’s death doesn’t do anything to dispel that notion.
Story via The Australian.
Image: Scott Fisher via Getty.
