The family of a 22-year-old asylum seeker who died after self-harming at an immigration detention centre in Western Australia plans to take legal action against the federal government, claiming he was mistreated.
Saruuan Aljhelie was found in his cell at Yongah Hill Immigration Detention Centre east of Perth on September 2, sparking riots, and died days later in hospital.
Mr Aljhelie had been at Villawood in NSW before authorities bundled him on a plane and sent him to WA without telling him where he was going, barrister Rick Mitry said.
Mr Mitry said the guards had abused and laughed at the Iraqi father, and didn't pay attention to his mental health problems, so they had failed in their duty of care.
"That's an obligation that was breached," he told AAP.
"The instructions I've got is he was mistreated unnecessarily."
The barrister said Mr Aljhelie's family in Sydney were traumatised by his death and were trying to return his body home before providing further instructions for potential legal action.
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