Kurdish refugee released in Australia after more than seven years in detention
ERBIL (Kurdistan 24) – Farhad Bandesh, 40, a Kurdish musician and artist from Iranian Kurdistan’s Ilam province, was released last Friday by Australian authorities after spending seven and half years in detention.
Last Friday, Bandesh was released from immigration detention and was met by friends, including refugee advocate and former retired Australian soccer player Craig Foster and celebrated his birthday.
“After seven and a half years in detention – on Manus Island, in Preston’s Mantra Hotel and finally Melbourne Immigration Transit Accommodation (MITA) – Mr Bandesh became a free man on his 40th birthday,” The Sydney Morning Herald reported.
“It’s something special and unique,” he told The Age, soon after his release. “It’s something I cannot forget. It happened on my birthday, which is the greatest gift ever. The freedom is something we all deserve, and it’s really special. On my birthday, I am reborn again.”
The Australian government has sent thousands of refugees to offshore processing and detention centers in Papua New Guinea and Nauru to deter people from entering Australia via boat.
There are still around 500 refugees that reside in Papua New Guinea’s Manus camps, where the harsh conditions that asylum seekers are subjected to have drawn widespread criticism.
Behrouz Boochani, a Kurdish refugee from the same town as Bandesh, became famous as a voice for those incarcerated on Manus Island and won an award for his autobiographical novel about his journey and imprisonment on Manus Island.
Last year he arrived in New Zealand and was granted asylum this year.
After the release of Bandesh, he joined protests against Australia’s refugee policy on Saturday in Melbourne and outside the Mantra hotel, where more than 60 people remain in detention.
Yesterday I attended two rallies.
— Farhad Bandesh (@FarhadBandesh) December 13, 2020
I was among people who are always standing and fighting for Human Rights.
It was incredible to join you for the first time outside.
It is time to release everybody in to this community. It is time for all my sisters & brothers to Fly!#GameOver pic.twitter.com/e91cUxWvGH
“Yesterday I attended two rallies,” Bandesh wrote on Twitter on Sunday. “I was among people who are always standing and fighting for Human Rights. It was incredible to join you for the first time outside.”
“It is time to release everybody in to this community. It is time for all my sisters & brothers to Fly!”
This says a lot 👇@FarhadBandesh finally tastes freedom after almost 7 years
— Craig Foster (@Craig_Foster) December 13, 2020
And he goes straight to speak at rallies for his friends 👏👏
Amazing people. Great humans
Thanks everyone for standing up, and speaking up yesterday in Melb & always #GameOver @AzimiMoz pic.twitter.com/EEsshkJLuQ
Refugee rights advocate Craig Foster praised Bandesh’s actions in a tweet. “This says a lot. Farhad Bandesh finally tastes freedom after almost 7 years and he goes straight to speak at rallies for his friends.”
Editing by Khrush Najari