Iranian asylum seeker in Australian detention convicted of attempted suicide

By Jarni Blakkarly MELBOURNE (Reuters) - Australian refugee advocates and opposition politicians on Saturday condemned the conviction of an Iranian asylum seeker on charges of attempted suicide, a criminal offence in Nauru where he is being held in an Australian-run detention center. Under Australia’s tough immigration policy, asylum seekers attempting to reach the country by boat are intercepted and sent to camps on the South Pacific island nation of Nauru, about 3,000 kms (1,800 miles) northeast of Australia, or on Manus island in Papua New Guinea to the north. Human rights groups, including the U.N. Refugee Agency, have criticized the harsh conditions at the detention centers, which have sparked riots and self-harm protests.

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