Former asylum seekers, lawyers and a whistleblower nurse have documented their experiences inside now-defunct Australian detention centres on behalf of an Iranian refugee who is suing the Federal Government over his treatment.

Key points: Daniel Hanssen spent five years in immigration detention between 2000 and 2005

Daniel Hanssen spent five years in immigration detention between 2000 and 2005 His repeated requests to see a psychiatrist were ignored despite attempts at his own life

His repeated requests to see a psychiatrist were ignored despite attempts at his own life The Commonwealth Government has denied any negligence in the case

Adelaide resident Daniel Hanssen, 69, spent five years in immigration detention in Western Australia and South Australia.

He has launched legal action against the Commonwealth, along with Australian Correctional Services and security company G4S.

He alleges the Commonwealth breached its duty of care by failing to diagnose his mental health condition and minimising risk of physical and psychological harm.

All defendants have denied any negligence.

"He feels like he has lost his whole life and is a broken person," court documents filed in the SA Supreme Court on behalf of Mr Hanssen state.

"When he arrived in Australia, he was fit and healthy.

"He spends his time, each day, struggling and has been diagnosed with post-traumatic stress disorder."

The Baxter detention centre, near Port Augusta, closed in 2007. ( Mark Baker: Reuters )

In 2017, the Commonwealth agreed to pay $70 million in compensation to more than 1,900 asylum seekers who spent time on Manus Island between 2012 and 2016.

That trial was expected to run for six months and the case would have examined conditions in detention in a way that up until now had not been possible, due to strict access restrictions.

Mr Hanssen's case is set for pre-trial hearings from today.

As part of his claim against the Commonwealth, Mr Hanssen has extensively detailed his treatment at the Curtin and Baxter immigration detention centres, in WA and SA respectively, in documents.

He has also provided an extensive list of reports, investigations and inquiries into the mental health of asylum seekers he alleges the Commonwealth should have been aware of since 1998.

Woomera nurse felt ashamed of what was happening

Former Woomera detention centre psychiatric nurse Glenda Koutroulis — who became a whistleblower on the treatment of asylum seekers in the centre — has provided the court with information about her experiences.

"Rather than being seen as mental health patients, depressed and suicidal detainees were seen by staff as attention-seeking and attempting to manipulate opinion and visa outcomes," documents state.

"When she arrived at Woomera, she asked staff to point out detainees who had attempted suicide. She was shocked when no-one knew.

"She was amazed at the number of crying, sobbing men that she would have to deal with on a daily basis."

Crowds gather outside Baxter detention centre in 2003. ( Supplied: State Library SA/John Immig )

Ms Koutroulis felt like she was "working in a giant intensive care unit" because of the "confined population", the documents stated.

"They would say to her, 'Why, why are you doing this to us? I am not an animal. I am not a criminal'. She felt ashamed about what was happening."

Lawyers who formed part of the Woomera Lawyer Group have also provided information about their experiences with detainees as part of the claim.

Family members were killed in Iran

Court documents state that not long after the Islamic Revolution in Iran, Mr Hanssen's family helped people flee into Afghanistan which caused the new government to become "upset with his family".

"When the government advised the family that they were seizing most of the remainder of the family farm, he and his father remonstrated with government officials in the new ruling party and were assaulted," the documents state.

"The family continued to assist those who were fleeing the Iranian regime into Afghanistan."

Mr Hanssen was told not to return home after his father and brother were killed in mid-2000 and he arrived in Australia in November 2000.

"Prior to his departure from Iran, he had been aiding political activists and protesters and was being sought out for imprisonment and torture with sentence of death by the Iranian authorities for several months," documents claim.

Mr Hanssen said that during his detention, he repeatedly sought help from a psychiatrist after attempts at taking his own life, and was refused.

He was also involved in the 2003 protests at Baxter.

'Extreme despair' and 'psychiatric injury'

As part of his claim, Mr Hanssen will call on other asylum seekers to attest to the poor conditions in Curtin, Baxter and Woomera detention centres.

The words 'refugees are nice' displayed at Baxter. ( Supplied: State Library SA/John Immig )

Another asylum seeker was nominated for the national soccer team in Iran at the age of 16 before touring Europe and the Middle East.

He studied chemical engineering but was forced to flee the country after he either injured or killed a corrupt colonel who had sexually abused him.

He was detained at Woomera, in the far north of SA, in August 2001.

He claims he "suffered severe ongoing psychiatric injury" and became depressed from solitary confinement, constant surveillance, no privacy and lack of recreational activity, including books.

"Because of his extreme despair, he commenced a hunger strike. He was subsequently transferred to the Port Augusta Hospital for rehydration," court documents state.

Another detainee, Leila Azad, fled Iran after she was sentenced to death by the Tehran Islamic Revolutionary Court, following a religious conversion in India.

She and her husband arrived in Darwin in December 2000 and were transferred to the Curtin detention centre.

"She will describe the deterioration of her health which led to her attempting to take her own life after her visa application was refused in August 2001," documents state.

Ms Azad was moved to Baxter in 2003, where she gave birth to her daughter.

Former Iranian police officer Roberto Goodarzi, 65, was detained at Woomera after fleeing Iran because of his anti-government activism.

His wife had earlier been arrested for "not covering her hair" properly, documents stated.

"By April 2002, he was in despair and suicidal," documents state.

"He told staff at a mental health meeting that he had no reason to live and wanted to set himself on fire — he was placed under two-minute observation. He was not seen by a psychiatrist."