Another loss of life inside detention centre: coalition government has blood on its hands, again!

The Social Justice Network holds the Labor-Greens government full responsibility of the new loss of innocent life tonight inside Villawood Detention Centre. The Labor harsh treatment of refugees, including detention with no time limits, and the Greens treating of these highly humanitarian crises as political football, has resulted in the death of Iraqi asylum seeker, Ahmad El Eqabi. We understand that the Iraqi asylum seeker hanged himself just after midnight after losing any hope of humanitarian treatment by this coalition government.

“The situation inside all detention centres is very volatile and could explode at any minute. Yet all parliamentary political parties (Labor, Liberals and Greens) are enjoying making it a political football for cheap electoral gains” said Jamal Daoud, SJN spokesperson. “Despite our repeated warnings of the seriousness of the situation there, no one of these political parties were treating this issue as humanitarian priority”

The weak Labor government which desperately needed the Greens and independents support to form government, was and still a soft target if the Greens had the commitments to act on this issue. The Greens is clearly enjoying media stunts trying to bite more of the Labor votes, on the expense of innocent lives.

“We demanded just after the last election that the Greens take serious steps to enforce change of current inhumane treatment of refugees. Instead, the Greens were putting ridiculous bills on cosmetically changeing the current regime”

“If the reports are true and the Iraqi asylum seeker has lost his life, his blood would taint the Greens and Labor forever. This time it is not the extreme Liberal party, but the Greens - Labor “progressive government “which caused this tragic loss of human life. Both should bury their heads in shame and disgust”

The Iraqi asylum seeker leaves three daughters behind him in Iraq. We wonder who will explain to them how their father lost his life fighting for basic human right.

The detainee, a Muslim by faith, leave this life on the first day of Eid Al Adha (the celebration of sacrifice). Instead of celebrating with family and friends, these people will be left to grieve his life loss.

The network hopes that this will be the last human life to be lost in the Australian hell holes. We hope that it is time for fundamental changes to our immigration system to stop such atrocities from happening again as first step to regain Australian reputation as democracy with respect for basic human rights.

For more information, you can contact Jamal Daoud on 0404 447 272.