In May, his sister, Nazanin, was allegedly raped while on her way back to the detention centre after a visit to the island to meet friends. The man, 21, has alleged that he was tortured in July following his sister's second attempt at taking her own life. "I was under too much pressure … I was begging them … asking them to just let her see her," he said. "…The Nauruan Police came and handcuffed me in front of my mother, [who] was screaming, crying … and my sister was in the hospital. "I was really shocked … because of my crying and begging they want to send me to police station … like a criminal."

The man said he was taken to a Nauru Police Station and then into a Nauruan prison where he was put in a cell. "When I went to the cell, I could see some Nauruans … from outside … they urinate on the ground and the urine coming on my back." He said he was forced to use his shirt to clean the cell, which was completely bare of any furniture, so he could lie on one side. The asylum seeker said he had been afraid to speak up about the incident earlier due to fear of reprisal from the Nauru Police and the Australian government. Senator Hanson-Young said the family had been torn apart and deeply traumatised by the Abbott government's cruelty.

"I am very worried about the safety of this young woman's brother who is still in the camp and being intimidated and targeted by local guards," she said. "The harassment and bullying that he has reportedly been subjected to is extremely concerning. The Immigration Department must conduct a fully independent investigation into this young woman's rape and the subsequent treatment of her brother inside the centre." Senator Hanson-Young said the Nauruan Police were in no way up to the job of conducting this investigation and keeping refugees on the island safe. "I have sought a visit with this young woman in Brisbane and will be urging the government to bring this family back together in Australia." A spokesman for the Minister of Immigration Peter Dutton said allegations regarding arrest and jail time in Nauru were a matter for the Nauru Police Force.

A spokesman for the the Nauru government denied the allegations and said they were "completely false". Nazanin's lawyer, Maurice Blackburn principal Dimi Ioannou, who visited Nazanin on Tuesday at the hospital , also called on the government to allow the 23-year-old's family to be by her side in Australia. Ms Ioannou said the asylum seeker was still traumatised. "She feels very isolated and alone and is guarded by two guards 24-hours a day," Ms Ioannou said. "The one thing that would improve her wellbeing is to have her mother and brother with her. That is her number one request.

"Having the support of loved ones is crucial to anyone who is sick and in hospital and we would urge the federal government to allow her family to be with her." Researchers Against Pacific Black Sites spokeswoman Janet Galbraith said they held the Commonwealth Government of Australia and the Department of Immigration and Border Protection responsible for the wellbeing of Nazanin's family on Nauru should there be any repercussions because of their speaking out.