Radio New Zealand - Te Reo Irirangi o Aotearoa

Six Iranian asylum seekers remain on hunger strike on Nauru

Posted at 22:14 on 13 November, 2012 UTC

A refugee campaigner says six Iranian asylum seekers remain on hunger strike on Nauru.

An asylum seeker in Australia’s detention centre on Nauru says most of the 270 hunger strikers ended their nearly two week protest on Tuesday following news Amnesty International would visit next week.

Sally Round reports.

“Ian Rintoul of the Refugee Action coalition says the six remaining hunger strikers include one man on his 33rd day of no food. Earlier an asylum seeker called Radio New Zealand International to report that most had ended the strike on Tuesday morning. The man who gave his name as Mohammed says the hunger strikers were very weak and relieved to have soup on Tuesday morning. He says they are against Australia’s policy of processing asylum seekers for refugee status in offshore detention centres but are now hopeful after hearing of Amnesty’s visit via the internet. He says the Iranian who has gone a month without food is in a skeletal condition and is continuing to strike until he is moved to Australia. Australian authorities have disputed the numbers involved.”