Media Release
Friday August 22 2003 14:00am WST
For Immediate Release
No Embargoes

Word has just been received from our refugee advocate networks that Iranian detainees have attempted to kill themselves within the context of impending forced deportations to Iran by the Australian government.

Two separate messages, reprinted below, were just sent out to members of the National Anti-Deportation Alliance.

"Project SafeCom joins with members from more than 18 organisations around Australia in expressing its disgust with the current actions of the Minister for Immigration."

"The fact that Iranians are willing to put action to their often spoken words that they are happy to end their lives in the Baxter detention centre - rather than being forcibly taken to a country where they can expect further torture - should be more than sufficient for the Howard government, and more precisely the Minister for Immigration Philip Ruddock, to halt impending forced deportations immediately and grant a blanket release into the community to all Iranians currently in Australian detention centres."

"Iranians may well be successful to stop these horrid deportations by death today. They are right now, being tortured with the expectation to be deported as early as tomorrow."

MESSAGE ONE: "A man in Blue 3 attempted to overdose on tablets at, I'm told, about 11.30am this morning. He was taken from the compound by guards, we assume to the management unit."

MESSAGE TWO: "While on the phone to friend in B3 half an hour ago, (12.30) there was an "incident" further down the corridor - 4 guards rushed in to cut down someone who'd attempted to hang himself."

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For more information:

Jack H Smit
Project SafeCom Inc.
National Anti-Deportation Alliance (NADA)
see: http://www.safecom.org/nada1.htm
Narrogin/Fremantle WA
[phone number posted]

Grant van Riessen
Project SafeCom Inc.
Records Manager, NADA
Perth WA
[phone number posted]

-----------------------------------
Online Information:

What awaits Iranians when they return:
http://www.safecom.org/iranians.htm

National Anti-Deportation Alliance:
http://www.safecom.org/nada1.htm

===========================
Iranian refugees set to be sent home
===========================

The Age
By Russell Skelton
August 19, 2003

http://www.theage.com.au/articles/2003/08/18/1061059776080.html

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Iranians to be drugged, blindfolded and deported
===================================

The Age/AAP
August 21, 2003
By Steve Larkin AAP

http://www.theage.com.au/articles/2003/08/21/1061387810896.html

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Uniting Church Condemns Imminent Deportation of Iranians
===========================================

from Uniting Church National Web Site

21 August 2003
From: Kim Cain Media Liaison

http://nat.uca.org.au/news/mediareleases/2003/release210803.htm

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Failing Iranian asylum seekers
======================

Letters
The Age
21 August 2003
Helen Lewers, Napoleons

http://www.theage.com.au/letters/index.html