Dozens of Australian writers and journalists are calling for the Kurdish refugee Behrouz Boochani to be released from detention on Manus Island.
Behrouz Boochani Photo: Hoda Afshar
Mr Boochani has been detained by Australia since 2013 after fleeing Iran, and has since become an acclaimed author and speaker.
Peter Greste, a spokesperson for the Alliance for Journalists' Freedom, said Mr Boochani's detention brings shame on Australia.
A separate petition calling for his release had attracted more than 1300 signatures as of Wednesday.
But in a tweet, Mr Boochani said that rather than calling for his freedom, he would prefer his supporters demand freedom for all the refugees Australia has incarcerated on Manus and Nauru.
About a thousand people remain in detention on the two islands.
Since last night that Australian Story was broadcasted, many supporters been calling for my freedom. While I truly appreciate the support, I’d like to ask everyone to demand for the freedom of all the people incarcerated on Manus & Nauru, and put an end to this barbaric policy.
— Behrouz Boochani (@BehrouzBoochani) April 2, 2019
