Iranian refugee loses court battle against government over mental injuries caused by immigration detention

ABC NEWS (Australia)

An Iranian refugee has lost his bid to sue the Federal Government for mental injuries he suffered while held in immigration detention for five years. Payam Saadat was detained in Western Australia and South Australia after arriving on Ashmore Reef in 2000.

Transcript

00:00A difficult day for Iranian refugee Payam Sadat after losing his bid to sue the federal government

00:09over alleged mistreatment in immigration detention.

00:13Yeah, I'm disappointed, but this is a decision I have to respect that.

00:17Mr Sadat launched a case against the federal government in 2021 over mental injuries he

00:23says he suffered while held in mainland detention for five years.

00:27I didn't expect this result, but it's happened.

00:30The Iranian refugee arrived on Ashmore Reef in 2000 after a 29-day journey by boat.

00:37He was detained at Curtin in Western Australia for two years and then Baxter detention centre

00:43in South Australia for almost three years.

00:46Ah, it's the worst time in my life, but I can't just tell you what's happened over there.

00:51It's very bad.

00:52It was a time when protests broke out at detention centres across Australia,

00:56with detainees alleging mistreatment in what they labelled as an inhospitable and overcrowded system.

01:03Mr Sadat's lawyer told the court during a trial in 2021 that his client was forced to flee Iran

01:10after he was detained, tortured and physically abused.

01:14He said that the government was on notice that his client was a vulnerable person

01:18and that he should have been treated more carefully while in detention.

01:22Speaking outside court today, Mr Sadat's solicitor says he's yet to read the 600-page judgment,

01:28which is yet to be released to the public.

01:31So we will take time to review the judgment of Justice Stanley and we will consider an appeal.

01:37But for now, his focus is his client.

01:39We'll continue to stand by our client pay arm and try and help him navigate his way through

01:44this difficult journey for him.

01:47The Supreme Court will publish the reasons for judgment next Friday.

01:50We'll continue to stand by our client pay arm and try and help him navigate his way through the

Category

Transcript

Recommended