Case against Australia builds at The Hague

The Independent Member for Denison, Andrew Wilkie, has discussed his latest submission to the International Criminal Court regarding Australia’s mistreatment of asylum seekers.

The submission includes revelations about conditions in Nauru relevant to the current controversy surrounding the Somali woman, Abyan.

Mr Wilkie’s submission to the ICC forms part of his original request that the Prosecutor initiate an Article 15 investigation into the Government for its contravention of Article 7 (Crimes Against Humanity) of the Rome Statute. Specifically, Mr Wilkie has detailed offences by the Australian Government including indefinite detention without trial, forced relocation to third countries and detention in inhuman conditions.

Whether or not the Nauru Government’s accelerated processing and open camp arrangements have improved the situation for any of the asylum seekers is unclear. In any case Mr Wilkie’s submission remains relevant, not least because it includes detailed information regarding the circumstances of asylum seekers in the broader Nauru community.

Download a copy of Mr Wilkie’s latest correspondence with the ICC. Some information in the letter has been redacted to protect the source of the information:

Andrew_Wilkie_to_ICC_Prosecutor_20_Oct_15.pdf

• Guardian: Afghan asylum seeker feared dead after self-immolation during video call