An Iranian-Australian man has been sentenced to 14 years in jail for his role in several people-smuggling voyages, one of which ended in the 2010 Christmas Island tragedy that killed 50 people.
Ali Khorram Heydarkhani, 41, pleaded guilty to two charges of facilitating entry to Australia of five or more people, and two charges of reckless endangerment in the act of facilitating.
Heydarkhani liaised with potential asylum seekers in organising the journeys and arranged the purchase of boats which were unseaworthy and did not contain enough safety equipment.
In some instances, the rotting and vermin-infested vessels did not contain a single lifejacket despite having dozens of asylum seekers on board, including children.
In his representations to potential asylum seekers, he lied about the condition of the vessels, telling some that the boats would be modern and fast, and that they would have their own rooms and food.
Noting in Perth's District Court today that Heydarkhani had helped facilitate an illegal asylum-seeker journey only days after the Christmas Island disaster in December 2010, Judge Stephen Scott said he did not accept Heydarkhani was genuinely remorseful.
Judge Scott said Heydarkhani was high up in the Indonesia-based people smuggling syndicate and there was a need to send a clear message that Australian courts handed down severe sentences to such offenders.
