Australia's Prime Minister has reacted angrily to a United Nations report that found Australia's treatment of asylum seekers breaches international conventions against torture.
Australian Prime Minister Tony Abbott. Photo: AAP
The report, by the UN's special rapporteur on torture, found indefinite detention of asylum seekers and the detention of children was in breach of Australia's international obligations.
It also found asylum seekers were being held in dangerous and violent conditions on PNG's Manus Island, where 24-year-old Reza Barati was beaten to death last year.
The report found the rights of two men were violated when they were allegedly tied to chairs by security guards and threatened with violence if they refused to retract statements about Mr Barati's death.
It says the Australian government has failed to adequately address concerns raised under the convention about four specific incidents.
Speaking to reporters this afternoon, Prime Minister Tony Abbott reacted angrily to the findings, saying Australians were sick of being lectured to by the UN.
Mr Abbott says the report would have a lot more credibility if it were to give credit to his government for stopping boat arrivals.
