UN rebukes Australia over asylum policy

The new United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights, Zeid Ra'ad Al Hussein, has accused Australia of violating the rights of asylum seekers.

New High Commissioner of the United Nations for Human Rights, Zeid Ra'ad al-Hussein of Jordan.

A chain of human rights violations, including arbitrary detention and possible torture.

That's not a reference to Syria, Iraq or Ukraine but to Australia and its treatment of asylum seekers.

The man making that criticism is the new United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights, Zeid Ra'ad Al Hussein who's delivered his maiden speech overnight in Geneva.

Human Rights lawyer Daniel Webb says it's embarrassing for Australia to be mentioned in the speech which he says highlights the seriousness with which Australia's flagrant breaches of international law are regarded on the world stage.

The speech runs to 8 pages and Australia is mentioned on page 7 in a one sentence reference.

Greg Dyett asked Daniel Webb from the Human Rights Law Centre whether he was overstating the significance of the UN's critique.

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