Tears flowed as Brisbane asylum seeker Mojgan Shamsalipoor stood in front of her peers and finally accepted her Year 12 graduation certificate.
Ms Shamsalipoor was taken from Yeronga State High School by armed immigration officials and transferred without warning to Darwin's Wickham Point Detention Centre in August 2015.
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MP's tears for Mojgan
Mark Bailey makes an emotional plea in parliament for Iranian refugee Mojgan Shamsalipoor, a Brisbane student in a detention centre. March 16, 2016
She was released on September 21 on a bridging visa after two years in detention and reunited with her husband Milad Jafari.
Her brother Hossein, who was in detention for three years, was also released.
Ms Shamsalipoor, now 22, studied her year 12 classes while locked away in detention.
"I couldn't believe that I could finally walk and get my certificate with my own hands," she said.
"That was a really beautiful and emotional feeling and I was really, I was proud that for one year, in a really hard situation, I could study and my teachers and principal, everyone helped me to finish my high school."
Deputy principal Jessica Walker said that using Skype, Ms Shamsalipoor could see her teacher and her classmates but they could not see her.
"She could talk with us and see our faces, and she did her exams from Darwin," Ms Walker said.
Ms Shamsalipoor said Wednesday night was beautiful, happy and emotional.
"I was really happy because I was able to get my certificate myself. I was dreaming for it, it was a really great night," Ms Shamsalipoor said.
Her husband, Mr Jafari, had accepted her graduation certificate and an award on her behalf last year, standing alongside her classmates.
"Last time, this day, I was so upset, I couldn't sleep the night before because I was so stressed, it was just so weird to go up on the stage and get the award because I haven't done the hard work, it was Mojgan who did the hard work to achieve this," he said.
Mr Jafari said his wife had long dreamed of her graduation and she was in tears and "out of the earth for a second" on Wednesday night.
Mr Jafari also paid tribute to the strong support from Ms Walker and the school community in advocating for his wife's release.
"I'm so proud to be a former student of Jessica's and a former student of Yeronga... This particular lesson in our life means a lot to us, and I think she (Ms Walker) taught us a life lesson," Mr Jafari said.
"This will always be in our heart and we will never forget this moment and we will definitely deliver it to our next generation through our children, to tell them the stories about a teacher who was bravely powerful, coming forward for one of her students, rights and for social justice."
Mr Jafari said nothing could break the bond between his family and the teachers and supporters.
"It's like a big chain and the most important element is love, and nobody can tear us apart, no such power in this country or anywhere else on earth cannot tear this apart because this is the power of love," he said.
"We could see that last night and I want to thank every single one of them for standing up for us."
Mr Jafari also thanked the person who decided to release his wife from detention in September.
"Whoever did it changed our life and I want to appreciate that," he said.
Ms Walker said the awards night was an emotional experience.
"It was fantastic... The awards night always is quite emotional because it's a culmination of the hard work the students have done over the year," she said.
"But with Mojgan, it was special."
Ms Walker said Ms Shamsalipoor gave a thank you speech to the school community.
"She was in tears on the stage... and I was in tears, and I got up and hugged her," she said.
"She got a standing ovation - every student and every parent stood up and clapped for her and she thanked the community and thanked everybody for supporting her and allowing her to finish her studies.
"It was a really perfect night."
Ms Shamsalipoor sought asylum in Australia in 2012 after fleeing an arranged marriage to a 60-year-old man and several assaults in Iran.
If returned to Iran, Ms Shamsalipoor feared the prospect of prison and physical threats, exacerbated by her decision to take part in multicultural dance festivals.
Ms Shamsalipoor is on a three-month bridging visa, and she faces a difficult task to remain in the country.
Ms Walker said the Free Mojgan Movement would continue to campaign, and they hoped her bridging visa would be extended.
"It's really about supporting her back in the community," she said.
"No way we're going to be allowing her to go back into detention."
Ms Shamsalipoor now has a casual job at a restaurant and plans to start studying a certificate in health services so she can work as a midwife.
Member for Yeerongpilly Mark Bailey said it was a great pleasure to join Ms Shamsalipoor at Yeronga State High School and see her graduate.
"The Yeronga community and especially Yeronga High School deserve acknowledgement for their unwavering and incredible support of Ms Shamsalipoor's freedom," Mr Bailey said.
"I look forward to the federal government's granting Ms Shamsalipoor permanent residency in Australia in the near future as she will make a fine, upstanding and courageous Australian citizen."
Mr Bailey has previously made an emotional plea in parliament for the Iranian refugee, urging Immigration Minister Peter Dutton to review her case.
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