February 17: An asylum seeker was killed and at least 77 injured in the second riot this week at a detention center in Papua New Guinea. 23-year-old Reza Berati, from Iran, was killed by police. One person among the wounded was in a critical condition with a head injury and another sustained gunshot wounds during the clashes on the small island in impoverished Papua New Guinea.
The facility, part of Australia’s tough stance against asylum seekers, has come under fire over human rights concerns. Immigration Minister Scott Morrison said the riot began when detainees forced their way out of the center, but refugee advocates said it was triggered when Manus Island residents and police stormed the facility, attacking the asylum seekers.