protesters
Protesters hold placards at the 'Stand up for Refugees' rally held in central Sydney October 11, 2014. Around a thousand protesters attended the rally, demanding changes to the Australian government's current policies for refugees. Australia's tough policies aimed at stopping asylum seekers reaching the country by boat include sending migrants to camps in impoverished Papua New Guinea and Nauru, where they face long periods of detention while they are processed. The policies have been heavily criticised by the United Nations and human rights groups. Reuters/David Gray

About 100 people gathered in Brisbane's Reddacliff Place on Saturday to protest against the government’s decision to put Iranian asylum seeker Mojgan Shamsalipoor back in detention for eight months. She was shifted to Darwin detention from Brisbane Immigration Transit Accommodation centre after she reportedly spoke to ABC.

The people gathered said they were against the Border Force Act that allows people working for the Department of Immigration to be put behind bars for two years if they disclose any information they obtained while working.

Her husband, Milad Jafari, said he was extremely unhappy with the system and he didn’t have any idea why his wife was moved when she was supported by family and had attended a school in the city. “I felt like a dead body. Why can't I even talk to the person who I love?” he said.

Jafari said that his wife was dragged by the authorities to the interview room and told that she would be soon deported to Darwin without having to meet her husband and going to school anymore.

At the rally, Jafari promised that he would do anything to save his wife, saying it was very wrong of the Australian government to reject Shamsalipoor’s refugee claim. He was confident in asserting that his wife wouldn’t ever leave the country voluntarily as she abused and tortured in Iran

"She was tortured, she was sexually abused. How can [her refugee claim] not be approved by the Government?" he asked.

Protesters were seen wearing Shamsalipoor’s favourite colours, with most of them were believed to be from Yeronga High School, where Shamsalipoor was being educated. Jessica Walker, one of the teachers of her school, said it was very shameful of Australian authorities not to let her complete her school which had only three months left.

"We're standing up and we're going to continue to campaign for Mojgan. Because it's not fair, we believe in a better Australia than this,” she said, while adding that the decision was incorrect and revolting.

On whether Shamsalipoor was detained because she talked to ABC, the Immigration Department refused to comment on the issue, saying that the sudden decision to transfer her involved other operational reasons.

Shamsalipoor is believed to be one of a number of Iranians who was re-detained in recent months as the Australian government negotiates with Iran for releasing its citizens who have not been found to be refugees.

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