October 04-2013
An Iranian national has been arrested in Australia on charges of stabbing his two roommates, one of them fatally. He immediately became part of the Australian campaign debate over immigration.
The 35-year-old accused, whom police say was born in Afghanistan, was charged with murder and with wounding with intent to murder.
He allegedly stabbed two of his housemates, aged 41 and 26, at their apartment in Sydney. The older man died a short time later.
The nationalities of the two roommates were not released.
The stabbings became a political issue in the closing days of the federal election campaign.
Federal opposition immigration spokesman Scott Morrison clashed with Immigration Minister Tony Burke two days before the election after it emerged the Iranian was in Australia on a “bridging” visa. A bridging visa is a temporary document that allows a foreigner to stay in Australia after his/her regular visa has expired and the authorities are considering an application for the visa holder to stay in Australia.
“This is a very concerning and a very disturbing development,” Morrison said about the fact that the government had allowed a man now accused of murder to stay in Australia.
Detective Inspector Paul Arnold made it clear that the charged man’s immigration status was a low priority for investigators.
`“What we’re interested in is establishing the nature of the events that took place,” he said.
