Behrouz Boochani

The Supreme Court today fixed the hearing date for December 15, the week that will be the last Supreme Court sitting for the year.

This appeal was filed over the single Supreme Court judge's decision of November 7 that refused interim orders, sought by Boochani, for the restoration of services at the decommissioned Regional Processing Centre in Lombrum.

The court refused the order mainly because alternate facilities on Manus also provided the essential service which the refugees were seeking restoration of.

Reports of Boochani’s alleged arrest were shared on social media from refugees and asylum seekers at Lombrum, just before lunch today.

It was even reported by various international media organisations.   

However, Manus Provincial Police Commander Chief Inspector David Yapu clarified with this newsroom that Boochani was taken by officials on a bus from the decommissioned site to the new site. 

He says Boochani was found hiding in a room and escorted into a bus.

The application briefly came before Chief Justice Sir Salamo Injia today before it was adjourned to next Wednesday for directions.

The application was filed by way of an appeal against the court’s decision on November 7, where the court refused to grant orders restoring services at the decommissioned site and prevent the refugees’ forceful removal.

However, the Chief Justice questioned the mode in which the application was filed.

His lawyer, Ben Lomai, filed the appeal yesterday afternoon. The matter has been listed for next week Monday.

They will be seeking leave of the Supreme Court to appeal against the court’s refusal in granting the interim orders, namely the refusal to restrain the transfer of those at the decommissioned centre as well as restoring essential services.

Subject to the court’s grant of leave to appeal, the refugees are asking for the grant of the interim orders sought, which was refused on Tuesday.

The Supreme court this morning refused to grant orders, to have services restored to the center on the basis all those services are available at alternate facilities ,and the center had to be closed in compliance to court orders.

Loop PNG spoke to Kurdish Iranian journalist, Behrouz Boochani today after the court’s ruling.

It was filed yesterday afternoon (Oct 31) and is now awaiting listing before a judge to hear it.

As of 5pm yesterday, water and power supply was cut to the centre as it came to a close.

In this application, the refugees, led by Kurdish journalist Behrouz Boochani, are seeking orders to prevent their transfer to the East Lorengau Transit centre or other similar facilities, either in Manus or PNG, against their will.

Behrouz Boochani is messaging me on WhatsApp from Australia's offshore detention facility in Manus Island, Papua New Guinea (PNG), where he has been since 2013 after fleeing his home country of Iran.

The Kurdish journalist has just finished his biggest project yet - a full-length feature film, shot using his iPhone and smuggled out over the internet in small clips, beneath the radar of his guards.