Deeply suspicious of the outside world, the family of dead asylum seeker Reza Barati cancelled a memorial service that was to be held in their village in the far west of Iran on Friday - apparently fearing they could be punished by official decisions to block repatriation of the young man's body.

Torabi Barati, a 50-year-old construction worker, wept on meeting members of his clan who had made a nine-hour journey by road from Tehran, to attend the service for his son who was killed in an eruption of violence at the Australian-run immigration detention centre on Manus Island - but the father gave no reason for the cancellation.

At the same time, family friend Khalil Rezai Far was blunt when he spoke to Fairfax Media on the family's behalf. Explaining they appreciated that Papua New Guinea and Australia were separate countries, he said: ''Their understanding is that he was murdered in Australian detention - security in the camp has to be an Australian responsibility.

''We want justice and we want human rights organisations to follow this killing,'' the 46-year-old teacher said in a phone interview facilitated by a translator.