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Reza Husseini: Locked-up convicted stabber could soon ditch shirtless detention gym sessions for WA streets

A gym junkie locked up in WA who sent diners fleeing in terror when he launched a frenzied stabbing attack against his friend is hoping he will soon be freed from indefinite immigration detention after a landmark High Court ruling. Reza “Huss” Husseini, who fled Iran by boat, has been in Northam’s Yongah Hill centre since 2021 after serving five years behind bars for the brutal stabbing at a western Sydney cafe during which his victim Mehdi Rahimi suffered a punctured lung in 2016. From behind bars, the 33-year-old has amassed thousands of followers and thousands of dollars on social media platform TikTok, where he flaunts shirtless gym shots, designer clothes and daily life inside the detention centre. As nearly 30 detainees were released from Yongah Hill on Saturday Mr Husseini posted several videos featuring those leaving with one post captioned” lots of people getting out, Thanks Higher Court”. “I need everyone (to) pray for me. Maybe I’m getting out soon. I need my followers and my people to stay positive,” he said. His Queensland-based fiancée Jacqueline Hadid told The Sunday Times the High Court ruling to release 92 detainees had given the couple fresh hope he could soon be released. But the release of the detainees nationally, some of them convicted rapists and killers, has caused a major headache for State and federal governments with Premier Roger Cook saying WA Police were working with federal law enforcement agencies to “ensure public safety”. It is understood only a handful of those released from Yongah Hill will stay in WA with the majority going back to the Eastern States. Mr Husseini was among a handful of Yongah Hill immigration detainees meeting with lawyers about their potential release after the country’s highest judiciary ruled indefinite detention was unconstitutional — even for those convicted of serious crimes. There are more than 1000 people held in immigration detention nationally. The test case was a man convicted of raping a 10-year-old boy in Sydney in 2015. Federal Immigration Minister Andrew Giles confirmed on Friday the Myanmar national had been set free. The decision overturned a 20-year precedent allowing indefinite detention in certain cases. Ms Hadid hopes the High Court ruling will help her partner after his humanitarian visa was cancelled when he was jailed. “The decision is likely to affect him as he came to Australia as an unauthorised maritime arrival and was awaiting the outcome of a humanitarian visa, which was refused on character grounds after he got into a fight and stabbed his friend,” she said. “He’s been busy all day with other detainees and a lawyer working on his potential release. “They’re working on Huss’ case, which is complicated because he is still technically on parole in NSW.” Mr Husseini had been unsuccessful in overturning his deportation in the federal court and through the Administrative Appeals Tribunal. His partner said he was currently waiting for ministerial intervention. Ms Hadid said the High Court ruling was a glimmer of hope for indefinite detainees. “I think this ruling has changed the mood in the detention centres,” she said. “A lot of people whose future has been uncertain now have new hope, and they have motivation and something to look forward to. “It’s a really great outcome and something that a lot of people weren’t expecting.” Ms Hadid said her partner could not return to Iran. “(Huss) has been in immigration detention for over two years, and he is unable to return to his country of origin where he faces persecution, and they haven’t been able to find a third country willing to accept him due to his criminal history,” she said. “He can’t go back to Iran because he is from a persecuted minority group and he went to protests against the Iranian government, so his life is in danger if he goes back there. “My understanding is that Australia cannot send him there due to non-refoulement obligations, but can’t deport him to another country as they haven’t been able to find a third country willing to accept him with his criminal record. “My understanding is that unless they can identify a pathway that is likely to result in his removal from Australia within the reasonably foreseeable future, then they cannot continue to detain him indefinitely in administrative detention.” Mr Husseini uses his TikTok account, named “Free. Huss”, to vlog his day-to-day life - mostly the videos are of him pumping iron in the spacious and well-kept detention centre gym. He has also gained an income from the platform, receiving thousands in donations from his online following. Mr Husseini posts regular joint clips with prolific TikTok identity Jenny Elhassan, the one-time sister-in-law of Sydney drug smuggler Steven Elmir. Videos also include Mr Husseini and Ms Hadid dancing and hugging during their centre visits. “They want to deport me, please marry me Jacqueline,” he captioned a video of himself crying. He later posted another video clarifying that the marriage proposal wasn’t just a ploy to stay in Australia. “I’m going to marry Jacqueline not because of visa, because I love her,” he said. He also used TikTok to whinge about the taxpayer-funded meals, posting a video of a large serving of fish and chips labelling the food “disgusting”. His food review did not go down well with his followers with several telling him the food “looks better than most people are eating”, the meal was “amazing fish and chips for free bro stop complaining” and “some ppl/families go without you guys get 3 meals a day”. Mr Husseini has said the vicious knife attack was the “biggest mistake of his life” and he was desperate to be given a second chance. “In 2016 I did one crime, I‘ve done my time, I’ve done my program and they recommended (I be) paroled into the community. But because I came by boat, I was an asylum seeker, they cancelled my visa and put me in here,” he told The Daily Telegraph earlier this year. “(Detention is) very bad, there’s no life, it’s a jail. Without TikTok I would go crazy, it’s hard.” Mr Giles and Home Affairs Minister Clare O’Neil issued a joint statement on Saturday that “the Government has acted to ensure the safety of the Australian community in response to the High Court’s decision”. “The Australian Federal Police and Australian Border Force are working closely with state and territory authorities and law enforcement to support community safety,” they said. Mr Giles said on Friday the Myanmar man released would have strict conditions on his bridging visa to include bail-like requirements that he report regularly to the Department of Home Affairs and notify the minister of any changes to address, along with restrictions on employment. The Government is considering each of the cases and there are expectations similar restrictions would apply to others. Shadow Attorney-General Michaelia Cash said there were serious community safety concerns. “We are talking about people who present organised crime or national security risks, or who committed serious violent or sexual offences,” she said. “What is the risk to the community here in Western Australia and elsewhere?” WA Liberal leader Libby Mettam said West Aussies would rightly be questioning how community safety will be managed and prioritised after the release of detainees at Yongah Hill. “The release of any criminals back into the community raises obvious concerns and every effort must be made at both a State and Federal level to prioritise community safety,” Ms Mettam said. “At a State level, we have seen too many tragedies involving innocent people because of Labor’s light touch approach when it comes to the release of criminals in the community without proper protections or tracking measures and we cannot afford to see it repeated in this unprecedented case.” Prominent WA criminal and human rights lawyer Rabia Siddique called for asylum seeker and refugee detainees in indefinite detention, who meet all the criteria, at Yongah Hill to be released immediately. She labelled the ruling as “absolutely historical” and “hugely significant”, saying it had taken numerous attempts to overturn the 2004 Al-Kateb v Godwin ruling. “Anyone in indefinite detention, who cannot reasonably be returned to their country of origin, who is essentially stateless or would require the protection of the Australian Government because they may have their life threatened… they should be released immediately,” she said. Ms Siddique accused previous governments of creating a narrative of “fear and paranoia” around immigration detention to gain support for their handling of the issue. She said detainees had previously been portrayed as “terrorists” who were going to “bleed resources” from Australia if released.

The West Australian exclusiveReza Husseini: Locked-up convicted stabber could soon ditch shirtless detention gym sessions for WA streets

exclusive
Reza Husseini: Locked-up convicted stabber could soon ditch shirtless detention gym sessions for WA streets