28 Nov 2012

Refugee activists say hunger-striker may be close to death on Nauru

9:19 am on 28 November 2012

The Australia-based Refugee Action Coalition says a hunger striker on Nauru may be close to death.

Campaigners say 35 year old Omid Sorouseh is into his forty seventh day not eating and is back in the tented camp for asylum seekers after another spell in hospital.

The Iranian textile engineer is among protestors who want to return to Australia to have their claims for refugee status processed.

A coalition spokesperson Nick Riemer who has been following the asylum seekers on their Facebook page says Mr Sorouseh self-harmed during his most recent hospitalisation.

"Omid is tragically very close to death and has only a matter of days to live. We learnt recently that he suffered extensive internal bleeding and he's partly paralysed. It looks as though there's very little more that can avert his imminent death unfortunately."

Nick Riemer says five other Iranians have been on hunger strike for 26 days and thirty other men began theirs on Friday.

The Refugee Action Coalition has called on the Australian government to transfer Mr Sorouseh to Australia.