Hotel owner’s heartbreak over jailed Australian bloggers Mark Firkin and Joely King
A hotel owner has told of his heartbreak over the Australian bloggers detained in Iran, describing them as “happy overlanders”.
True Crime
Don't miss out on the headlines from True Crime. Followed categories will be added to My News.
EXCLUSIVE
THE Australian bloggers detained in Iran travelled with a German couple who were also touring Central Asia in a 4WD in the weeks leading up to their arrest near Tehran.
Munich couple Fabian Kroll and Carolin Frank were following a similar route to Coffs Harbour’s Mark Firkin and Joely King, and were documenting their travels via an Instagram account and blog called A Distant Call.
A photo of the two couples posted to Facebook on May 9 shows them catching up at the Mountain Story Hotel in Hunza, northern Pakistan, which also featured in the last video Mr Firkin and Ms King posted to their YouTube channel, The Way Overland, on June 26.
When contacted by News Corp yesterday, Mr Kroll was concerned for the couple’s safety and for this reason declined to comment.
Mountain Story Hotel co-owner Aatish Khan told News Corp he was heartbroken over what had happened to the Australian couple, whom he described as “very nice” and “happy overlanders”.
“They were not political. They were fun people to hang out with. Not political at all,” he said.
He revealed the couple stayed at the hotel for “not more than a couple of days” and gave him a look inside their van, which they had converted into a home on wheels.
The hotel posted a photo of both couples’ vans to their Facebook page, showing the solar panels that helped power their on-board fridges and cooking equipment.
Mr Khan remembered the Australian couple as being “very excited about their travels into China and Uzbekistan,” although they had also talked of tracing back their steps to do a motorcycle trip in northern Pakistan.
MORE:
It is not clear when the couples first crossed paths, but an image posted to Ms Frank’s Instagram account on April 11 shows her and Ms King in colourful traditional dress in Pakistan’s Kalash valley, near the border with Afghanistan.
Another image posted to the A Distant Call Instagram site on May 22 shows both couples’ vans parked in a vast flat plain, with a rider on horseback in the distance.
Although it is not clear where or when the image was taken, Mr Kroll’s caption suggests it may have been taken in Kyrgyzstan, and hinted that at least some of the travellers had experienced difficulties in China.
“If you followed us closely you would probably know that we are in Kyrgyzstan and that we’ve been to Pakistan before,” Mr Kroll wrote.
“You probably also know that there’s an area in between those countries that you need to cross. We don’t like to lose too many words about it.
“Instead we would like to point out how lucky we are that we live in a country where you have all the freedom to say what you think, do what you like, believe what you want without living in danger to be harassed or locked up.
“Where you don’t have constant supervision and control but instead heterogeneity and diversity. If you have this luxury as well: Appreciate it and never forget it! If you want to know more: Google is your friend.”
The German couple’s blog reveals they travelled to Tajikstan, Uzbekistan, Turkmenistan and Iran, before going through Azerbaijan and Turkey, and on to Europe.
Ms Frank’s Instagram posts suggest she and Mr Kroll were in Iran from July 1 and 12, although there is no sign that Mr Firkin and Ms King were travelling with them at that stage.
Sources said the Australian couple were arrested just over 10 weeks ago by members of the Iranian Revolutionary Guard for flying a drone without a permit in Jajrood, near the capital Tehran.
If the report is correct, that would place the Australian couple in that area around July 3.
Ms King was released from solitary confinement in Evin Prison earlier this week.
TIMELINE
July 16, 2017: Mark Firkin and Joely King depart Perth
October 24, 2017: The couple arrive in their first overseas destination: Dili, East Timor
March 7, 2019: The couple reach what they call “a loose geographical halfway point” in their trip after 600 days on the road.
April 11, 2019: Instagram post shows Ms King and German traveller Carolin Frank in Pakistan’s Kalash valley, near the Afghanistan border
May 9, 2019: Both couples pictured at the Mountain Story Hotel, Hunza, northern Pakistan
May 22, 2019: A social media post appears to place both the Australian and German couples in Kyrgyzstan
June 6-18, 2019: Social media posts place Mr Firkin and Ms King in Pakistan
June 26, 2019: Social media posts show Mr Firkin and Ms King in Kyrgyzstan (possibly the location seen on the May 22 posting). The Australians also post episode 60 to their YouTube channel, showing the area they travelled around May 9.
July 3, 2019 (approximately): Mr Firkin and Ms King detained in Tehran
Originally published as Hotel owner’s heartbreak over jailed Australian bloggers Mark Firkin and Joely King
Kim Kardashian calls for Menendez brothers’ release
Kim Kardashian has called for the release of the infamous Menendez brothers who murdered their parents three decades ago after the success of a new Netflix show.
Read more
Forced marriages explained: Why they’re a crime in Australia
Forced marriage is a slavery-like practice, an abuse of human rights and it is a serious crime. This is what you need to know.
Read more