The Claim
“Guarded the body of a dead asylum seeker using guards who were possibly the ones that shot him. Those same guards confiscated a camera from a journalist on site then deleted all his photos.”
Original Sources Provided
✅ FACTUAL VERIFICATION
The core elements of this claim are factually accurate based on multiple authoritative sources. Reza Barati, a 23-year-old Iranian asylum seeker, was killed during riots at the Manus Island Regional Processing Centre on February 17, 2014 [1][2]. Following his death, G4S security guards—the same private security company responsible for the detention center where the fatal incident occurred—were indeed stationed at the hospital morgue guarding Barati's body [3].
When Fairfax Media journalists (including photographer Nick Moir) visited the hospital to check on procedures for securing Barati's body, they encountered G4S guards who refused access and stated they were under orders to guard the body [3]. The guards demanded the journalists not leave until their manager arrived.
The camera confiscation incident also occurred. When Nick Moir attempted to photograph a G4S bus carrying injured asylum seekers arriving at the hospital, G4S guards grabbed him, confiscated his camera, and later forced him to delete photographs in front of a PNG national manager before returning the camera [3][4]. The journalist was able to recover the deleted photographs, which were subsequently published [4].
Important factual clarification: The claim states the guards "possibly shot him," but Reza Barati was not shot. According to the Cornall Review (the official government investigation) and court findings, Barati died from severe brain injuries caused by being beaten with a piece of wood with nails and having a large rock dropped on his head [1][2]. Two PNG nationals—Joshua Kaluvia and Louie Efi—were convicted of his murder in 2016 [1].
Missing Context
The claim omits several critical pieces of context:
Labor established the policy: The Manus Island detention center was reopened by the Labor government in August 2012 under Prime Minister Julia Gillard, and the "PNG Solution" (sending all asylum seekers who arrived by boat to PNG for processing and resettlement) was announced by Kevin Rudd in July 2013—before the Coalition took office in September 2013 [5][6]. Reza Barati arrived in Australia on July 24, 2013 (just five days after the PNG Solution announcement) and was sent to Manus Island by the Rudd Labor government in August 2013 [2].
G4S was the existing contractor: G4S had been contracted to manage security at Manus Island since its reopening under Labor in 2012. The Coalition government did not hire G4S; they inherited the existing contractual arrangements [3][6].
The broader context of the riots: The Cornall Review and subsequent Senate inquiry found the riots were "eminently foreseeable" and resulted from a failure to process asylum claims, creating anger and frustration among detainees [1][7]. The Senate inquiry found the Australian Government failed in its duty to protect asylum seekers, including Barati [1].
Other expatriate guards allegedly involved: While two PNG nationals were convicted, witness testimony identified Australian and New Zealand expatriate guards who were allegedly involved in the attack but were never charged [1][2]. The sentencing judge noted that others were involved in the killing who had not been prosecuted [1].
G4S lost the contract: Following the incident, G4S was replaced as the security contractor at Manus Island by Wilson Security in early 2014 [8].
Source Credibility Assessment
The original source is The Sydney Morning Herald (SMH), one of Australia's oldest and most reputable newspapers. According to Media Bias/Fact Check, SMH is rated as having "Left-Center" bias with "High" factual reporting credibility [9]. The article was written by Rory Callinan, a Fairfax Media investigations reporter with 20+ years of experience [4]. The specific article is factual reporting based on firsthand observation at the scene.
The SMH account is corroborated by:
- The World Association of News Publishers (WAN-IFRA), which reported on the incident involving photographer Nick Moir [4]
- The ABC, which has extensively covered the Manus Island riots and subsequent investigations [1][7]
- The official Cornall Review (government-commissioned investigation) [2]
- The Senate Legal and Constitutional Affairs Committee inquiry [7]
The source is credible, though the claim being analyzed slightly misrepresents one fact (Barati was beaten, not shot).
Labor Comparison
Did Labor do something similar?
Search conducted: "Labor government reopened Manus Island 2012 offshore detention"
Finding: The Manus Island Regional Processing Centre was reopened by the Labor government in November 2012 under Julia Gillard [5][6]. The "PNG Solution" policy of sending all asylum seekers arriving by boat to Papua New Guinea for processing and resettlement was announced by Kevin Rudd on July 19, 2013—before the September 2013 election [6]. Reza Barati was sent to Manus Island by the Labor government in August 2013 [2].
Comparison: The offshore detention policy and the use of private security contractors like G4S were established by Labor and continued by the Coalition. The specific incident of Barati's death occurred during the Coalition government (February 2014), but the policy framework, facility, and contractor relationships were inherited from Labor.
Labor's record on similar issues: Labor's offshore detention policies also faced significant criticism and controversies:
- The 2011 Christmas Island boat tragedy (48 deaths) occurred under Labor's watch [10]
- Riots and self-harm incidents occurred at both Nauru and Manus under Labor's management [6]
- Reports of inadequate mental health care and conditions at offshore facilities occurred under both governments [6]
The bipartisan nature of offshore detention policy means that criticisms about conditions, contractor management, and duty of care apply to both major parties.
Balanced Perspective
What the claim gets right:
- G4S guards were indeed guarding the body of Reza Barati at the hospital morgue
- G4S employees were suspects in the death (two PNG nationals were later convicted; other expatriate guards were implicated but never charged)
- G4S guards confiscated a journalist's camera and forced deletion of photos
- The situation represented a serious failure of government oversight and contractor management
What the claim omits or misrepresents:
- Barati was beaten to death, not shot (factually incorrect claim)
- G4S was hired by the previous Labor government, not the Coalition
- The Manus Island facility was reopened and Barati was sent there by Labor
- The riots were found to be "eminently foreseeable" by a Senate inquiry due to failures to process claims—a problem that began under Labor and continued under the Coalition
The broader context:
This incident represents one of the darkest chapters in Australia's offshore detention policy. The fact that a private security company suspected in a detainee's death was permitted to guard the body and intimidate journalists raises serious questions about government oversight, contractor accountability, and transparency.
However, this was a systemic failure across both major parties. Labor reopened offshore detention in 2012 after the Howard government's "Pacific Solution" had been dismantled in 2008. The Coalition continued and intensified the policy with Operation Sovereign Borders. Both governments used private contractors (G4S, Wilson Security, Broadspectrum) to manage facilities, creating accountability gaps that contributed to this tragedy.
The Cornall Review and Senate inquiry established that the violence was foreseeable and that the government failed in its duty of care [1][7]. The fact that only two PNG nationals were convicted while expatriate guards allegedly involved escaped prosecution highlights serious concerns about justice and accountability [1][2].
This incident is not unique to the Coalition—offshore detention has been controversial regardless of which party holds government. However, the specific circumstances (guarding the body, camera confiscation) occurred under Coalition management of a facility established by Labor.
PARTIALLY TRUE
6.0
out of 10
The claim contains significant factual accuracy but also important inaccuracies and omissions. It is true that G4S guards (whose employees were suspects in Barati's death) guarded the body, and they did confiscate and delete a journalist's photos. However, Barati was beaten to death—not shot—by individuals later identified as two PNG nationals (not "possibly the guards" at the morgue, though the killers were G4S employees). The most significant omission is that the Manus Island facility, the G4S contract, and the offshore detention policy were all established by the Labor government, and Barati was sent to Manus by Labor, not the Coalition.
Final Score
6.0
OUT OF 10
PARTIALLY TRUE
The claim contains significant factual accuracy but also important inaccuracies and omissions. It is true that G4S guards (whose employees were suspects in Barati's death) guarded the body, and they did confiscate and delete a journalist's photos. However, Barati was beaten to death—not shot—by individuals later identified as two PNG nationals (not "possibly the guards" at the morgue, though the killers were G4S employees). The most significant omission is that the Manus Island facility, the G4S contract, and the offshore detention policy were all established by the Labor government, and Barati was sent to Manus by Labor, not the Coalition.
📚 SOURCES & CITATIONS (10)
-
1
abc.net.au
Two men found guilty of murdering asylum seeker Reza Barati in Australia's offshore detention centre on Manus Island are sentenced to 10 years' jail, with five of those years suspended.
Abc Net -
2
en.wikipedia.org
Wikipedia
-
3
smh.com.au
The body of an asylum seeker suspected of being killed during a riot on Manus Island is being guarded and monitored by the same security company whose officers are suspects in the man’s death.
The Sydney Morning Herald -
4
wan-ifra.org
Sydney Morning Herald photographer Nick Moir has been detained by private security guards working for an Australian immigration detention centre in Papua New Guinea.
WAN-IFRA -
5
rac-vic.org
Refugee Action Collective (Vic) | Free the refugees! Let them land, let them stay! -
6PDF
Manus attacks fact sheet
Refugeeaction Org • PDF Document -
7
aph.gov.au
Chapter 1 Introduction and backgroundReferral of the inquiry 1.1 On 5 March 2014, the Senate referred the following matter to the Legal and Constitutional Affairs References Committee for inquiry and report by 26 June 2014:
Aph Gov -
8
abc.net.au
A Salvation Army worker identified as allegedly leading a fatal attack on Iranian asylum seeker Reza Berati on Manus Island in February is expected to be charged in Papua New Guinea. The PNG national has been named in an official report into the riots which took place at the Manus Island detention centre between February 16 to 18 this year. Mr Berati, 23, died in what the Government describes as a "disturbance" that saw another 60 asylum seekers injured, some seriously.
Abc Net -
9
mediabiasfactcheck.com
LEFT-CENTER BIAS These media sources have a slight to moderate liberal bias. They often publish factual information that utilizes loaded words (wording
Media Bias/Fact Check -
10
hrlc.org.au
Human Rights Law Centre
Rating Scale Methodology
1-3: FALSE
Factually incorrect or malicious fabrication.
4-6: PARTIAL
Some truth but context is missing or skewed.
7-9: MOSTLY TRUE
Minor technicalities or phrasing issues.
10: ACCURATE
Perfectly verified and contextually fair.
Methodology: Ratings are determined through cross-referencing official government records, independent fact-checking organizations, and primary source documents.