New hopes for Australian academic Kylie Moore-Gilbert who has been moved out of a prison in Iran
After growing fears for the health of Kylie Moore-Gilbert, imprisoned in an Iranian “hell hole”, the Australian academic has finally been moved.
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- Australia’s ambassador to Iran visits imprisoned academic
- Fears for health of imprisoned Aussie Kylie Moore-Gilbert
Australian academic Kylie Moore-Gilbert has been moved out of a hell hole prison in Iran, amid hopes it may be a circuit breaker in her 10-year sentence.
The University of Melbourne Islamic studies expert was shifted from Qarchak prison, a former chicken slaughterhouse, to an unknown location on Saturday.
Dr Moore-Gilbert, originally from Bathurst NSW, was arrested at Tehran’s International Airport in 2018 after she had attended a university conference to which she was invited.
The 33 year old has denied all charges of spying, with her court case held in secret.
The weekend move, reported by Iran’s Human Rights Activists News Agency, may be the first step towards a release and potential house arrest, former Iranian prisoner Ana Diamond told News Corp Australia.
The Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade said securing Dr Moore-Gilbert’s release was an “absolute priority”.
“We remain focused on her health, wellbeing and safety. We do not accept the charges upon which Dr Moore-Gilbert was convicted, and want to see her returned to Australia as soon as possible,” DFAT said in a statement.
“Our Ambassador in Tehran has regular consular access to Dr Moore-Gilbert.”
Ana Diamond, a British-Iranian who was jailed at Evin, said she hoped that it was a step in the right direction after another prisoner, Frenchwoman Fariba Adelkhah was released into the community earlier this month.
“Fariba Adelkhah was moved to an unknown location and then released shortly after, so I’d like to think it’s possible,” she said.
Dr Moore-Gilbert would likely be housed at the Australian embassy in Iran if released into the community, she added.
And one of Dr Moore-Gilbert’s friends from Evin prison, Nasrin Sotoudeh, was moved to Qarchak prison this week.
Ms Diamond, 25, said that the Iranian government may have wanted to keep the women separate.
“Nasrin and Kylie have held hunger strikes together in the past and Nasrin’s husband has also done a lot of civilian reporting on Qarchak and Kylie’s conditions there, so that’s why I suspect it could also be the case,” she said.
Reza Khandan, Ms Sotoudeh’s husband, posted pictures from the outside of Qarchak prison this week.
He raised fears that coronavirus may be in Qarchak, based on conversations he had with his wife.
She told him: ′′After entering the prison, I was taken to the hospital to form a case. A woman entered the doctor’s room before me. She was coughing so bad and it was clear that she had corona and her illness is completely advanced. As soon as he saw this, the doctor escaped from his room.”
However, it may be linked to the arrest of German human rights advocate Nahid Taghavi this month, with the Iranian government potentially trying to deflect attention from the new prisoner’s case.
Dr Moore-Gilbert pleaded with Prime Minister Scott Morrison, in a letter first published by News Corp Australia, to get her out of Iran on Christmas Eve last year.
Dr Moore-Gilbert’s family released a statement in September to mark two years behind bars.
“We love Kylie very much and we remain strong and far from losing hope,” she said.
“For those who also know and love Kylie, they will recognise her fortitude and strength. We know this strength remains with her throughout this ordeal.”
stephen.drill@news.co.uk
Originally published as New hopes for Australian academic Kylie Moore-Gilbert who has been moved out of a prison in Iran
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