Immigration Minister denies claims asylum seekers were offered deal if witness statements on Reza Barati's death withdrawn

Updated

Federal Immigration Minister Scott Morrison has denied statements made by prominent human rights lawyer Julian Burnside QC that asylum seekers were offered relocation to Australia in return for withdrawing witness statements about the death of Iranian detainee Reza Barati.

Mr Burnside, an outspoken critic of the Federal Government's immigration detention policies, made the claim while accepting the Sydney Peace Prize last night.

He said a confidential source told him witnesses to the death of Mr Barati were offered transfer to Australia if they took back their statements.

"My understanding is that some people in the Manus Island detention are being offered the opportunity of being taken to mainland Australia on condition they withdraw any witness statements they've made," he told the function at Sydney Town Hall.

However, the Immigration Minister has strongly denied the allegations.

"This is a false and offensive suggestion made without any basis or substantiation by advocates with proven form of political malice and opposition to the Government's successful border protection policies. The government once again rejects these claims," Mr Morrison said.

Mr Barati, 23, was killed during a riot at the Australian-run Manus Island detention centre in Papua New Guinea in February.

An official report found Mr Barati suffered a severe brain injury caused by a brutal beating by several assailants and died a few hours later.

Mr Burnside said he was told 13 to 14 people were involved in the death of Mr Barati.

He told the function he had received a sworn statement from an eyewitness about Mr Barati's death.

"An employee of the detention centre, armed with a length of timber with two nails driven through it, had lashed out at Reza Barati and had brought down two crushing blows on his head," Mr Burnside said.

He said Mr Barati's scalp was lacerated and he fell to the ground.

He was then kicked repeatedly by a dozen employees from within the detention centre including two Australians. They kicked him in the head and stomach as he tried to protect himself with his arms, Mr Burnside told the crowd.

He said another employee took a rock and smashed it on Mr Barati's head with "such ferocity, it killed him".

Two PNG men were charged with murder but their trial was delayed because they did not have lawyers.

In a wide ranging speech on Australia's human rights record, Mr Burnside accused both the Coalition and Labor of treating asylum seekers in a cruel and selfish manner.

But he said he was not party political.

"Labor has never contradicted the Coalition's dishonest message about asylum seekers," he said.

"The Coalition call them illegal. It's a lie.

"The Coalition call them queue jumpers. It's a lie."

Burnside praised as a fearless humanitarian

Past winners of Australia's only international award for peace include US intellectual Professor Noam Chomsky, and Indigenous leader, Pat Dodson.

Former New South Wales governor, Dame Marie Bashir, praised Mr Burnside as a champion of human rights.

"You are an Australian of outstanding qualities, distinguished as a barrister, a humanist, an author and as we have heard tonight, a fearless humanitarian," Dame Bashir told the ceremony.

Mr Burnside said in his speech the world sees Australia as cruel and selfish because of the way asylum seekers are treated.

"Boatpeople who manage to get to Australia are mistreated in every possible way as if somehow that will make us feel better or safer," he told the function.

Hours earlier, the Sydney Town Hall hosted a memorial service for former prime minister, Gough Whitlam.

Mr Burnside said the country needed more politicians of Mr Whitlam's calibre.

"Whitlam was a colossus but a survey of today's political landscape shows we are led by midgets," he said.

"Led may not be the right word.

"We haven't seen a political leader in this country for decades," he said.

Topics: immigration, human, death, australia, papua-new-guinea

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