An asylum seeker has been found dead on Manus Island.
The man’s body was found in a forest area near the East Lorengau refugee transit centre, where he was being held.
The Manus province police chief, Inspector David Yapu, confirmed the death and said a crime scene had been established.
Guardian Australia has been shown photographs purporting to show the man’s body as it was found in the forest.
The body has visible wounds, but the circumstances of the man’s death are unclear. The initial reported cause of his death has been contested by other refugees on the island.
Guardian Australia understands the man had been suffering acute mental health crises for more than a year, and whose friends had pleaded with Australian authorities for him to be given greater care and treatment.
Guardian Australia is not publishing the man’s name or identifying details until they have been confirmed and his family has been notified.
Australia’s department of immigration and border protection – which runs the detention centre and the refugee transit centre – has been contacted for comment.
