Pacific / Papua New Guinea

Australian writers call for Manus refugee's freedom

07:02 am on 4 April 2019

Dozens of Australian writers and journalists are calling for the Kurdish refugee Behrouz Boochani to be released from detention on Manus Island.

Behrouz Boochani Photo: Hoda Afshar

Mr Boochani has been detained by Australia since 2013 after fleeing Iran, and has since become an acclaimed author and speaker.

Peter Greste, a spokesperson for the Alliance for Journalists' Freedom, said Mr Boochani's detention brings shame on Australia.

A separate petition calling for his release had attracted more than 1300 signatures as of Wednesday.

But in a tweet, Mr Boochani said that rather than calling for his freedom, he would prefer his supporters demand freedom for all the refugees Australia has incarcerated on Manus and Nauru.

About a thousand people remain in detention on the two islands.