Australian bloggers Jolie King and Mark Firkin jailed in Iran over drone
Australian bloggers Mark Firkin and Jolie King had close encounters with exploding volcanoes and corruption, but in the end it was their drone that landed them in Tehran’s infamous Evin prison. See what life is like inside the jail.
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They had close encounters with exploding volcanoes, perilous mountain passes, bureaucrats and corruption, but in the end it was their own drone that ended the adventure for intrepid Australian travellers Mark Firkin and Jolie King.
The couple had been on the road for almost two full years when they were arrested by members of the Iranian Revolutionary Guard in Jajroodin, near Tehran, and thrown in the capital’s infamous Evin prison.
The travellers, who had been documenting their journeys via social media, were arrested for flying a drone near the city without permission.
One report stated they had been camping in a military area before their arrest.
The families of the couple released a statement saying: “Our families hope to see Mark and Jolie safely home as soon as possible. We have no further comment to make at this stage and ask that the media respects our privacy at this difficult time.”
The couple had been living in Perth since 2014, although Mr Firkin was originally from Coffs Harbour on the NSW north coast.
The pair last posted on Instagram on June 26 from Kyrgyzstan, where they said they had encountered “massive landscape, countless horses, and a few screaming marmots,” as well as “warm hospitality” from locals.
The UK Times reported that Mr Firkin and Ms King, who is a dual British-Australian citizen, were arrested 10 weeks ago, which would be about one week after their June 26 Instagram and YouTube posts.
The June 26 post on their YouTube channel, called The Way Overland, exemplified their spirit of adventure, as well as their extensive use of drone footage to record their travels.
In that 17-minute clip, the couple traverse the Karakoram Highway in Pakistan, near the border with China, where they celebrated Mr Firkin’s birthday with a breakfast of pancakes and crossed a heart-stopping suspension bridge which had more gaps than it did planks.
“I’m so in love with this place,” Ms King said on camera. “It’s blown us away. I’m really sad it’s coming to an end.”
While many followers had posted messages of support on the couple’s social media pages, others had questioned their decision to travel in Iran.
One wrote: “Getting arrested in Iran. Anything for the gram.”
But another follower hit back, saying: “For those posting negative comments maybe just have a think about the fact that they are human and all humans make mistakes. They are someone’s friends and family have a bit of compassion!”
The couple departed Perth on July 16, 2017, in a troop carrier which Mr Firkin, a former builder, had fitted out with an 80-litre fridge, cooker, pantry and even a mezzanine area for a bed.
They planned to travel through 36 countries and take about one or two years, but only reached what they considered “a loose geographical halfway point” in March this year.
“As you may have noticed we tend to move pretty slowly so rushing through the Middle East and Europe didn’t really appeal to us,” they posted at the time.
Their journey took them through Timor L’este, Indonesia (where they missed the explosion of the Mt Bromo volcano by a single day), Malaysia, India and many other countries. Side trips without the vehicle (called the “troopy”) took them trekking in Nepal and to beaches in Sri Lanka.
Moving the vehicle over water brought them face-to-face with setbacks from time to time.
“The shipping was a bit of a frustrating process; the car had to be completely stripped and packed down (inside and out) as the wharfies can’t be trusted and we had to pay 100 per cent more than originally quoted,” the couple posted in July last year.
Evin prison, where Mr Firkin and Ms King are being held, is where Iran holds its political prisoners and has a reputation for being the scene of various human rights abuses, including summary executions.
Flying a drone without a permit in Iran is punishable by six months in prison followed by immediate deportation.
The couple have been detained at the same time as another dual Australian-British citizen, a female academic who had been working at a Melbourne university and who has reportedly been given a 10-year prison sentence.
While the allegations against her remain unclear, such penalties are routinely given in Iran for spying charges.
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The academic has been imprisoned for several months already.
Foreign Minister Marise Payne said she had met with her Iranian counterpart several times to press for their release, as recently as last week.
“The government has been making efforts to ensure they are treated fairly, humanely and in accordance with international norms,” she told parliament. “We also continue to provide consular assistance to the three Australians’ families, with whom we have maintained regular contact.
“On the basis of ongoing discussions, I continue to believe that the best chance of a successful outcome for these three Australians is with Iran through diplomatic channels and not through the media.”
Prime Minister Scott Morrison was also reluctant to provide much comment on the “very sensitive” cases.
“They’re never issues that are addressed well by offering public commentary on them,” he told reporters in Canberra.
The foreign minister said there was nothing to suggest the detainments were related to an Australian military deployment to the Strait of Hormuz, or international unrest about Iran’s nuclear program.
Senator Payne urged Australians thinking about visiting Iran to follow her department’s advice.
Australia’s official travel advice for Iran is currently set to “reconsider your need to travel”.
The highest warning level — “do not travel” — applies in some parts of the country.
INSIDE THE ‘BLACK HOLE OF EVIL’
By Nick Butterly
The notorious Iranian prison where the young couple are thought to be held has been described as a “black hole of evil” by former inmates.
Evin prison, situated in the northern part of Tehran, has long been the Iranian regime’s main site for holding political prisoners and is home to thousands of inmates, including hardcore criminals.
Former prisoners have spoken of torture, beatings, interrogations and mock executions they endured while being held at the site.
But for most inmates the true horror of being held in Elvin would be the daily conditions under which they are held.
In summer prisoners cook and in winter they freeze. Fortunately conditions have been relatively mild in Tehran in recent weeks. Former inmates have told of how the cells are filthy and infested with bugs.
Some former prisoners who have been released say they were held in crammed conditions, with up to 30 inmates to a 20-squaremetre cell.
But others are held for long periods in solitary confinement, given only the bare basics for comfort.
There are no air conditioners and water supplies are poor quality.
As well as the enemies of the Iranian regime such as journalists, political activists or religious figures, Evin also holds rapists, murderers, drug traffickers and Somalian pirates.
Evin Prison was built during the reign of the Shah of Iran, but following the 1979 revolution became the focus of the new regime’s punitive efforts against its enemies.
Nikita White from Amnesty International’s Australian office said one dual citizen, a Canadian man, recently died in Evin prison.
Local authorities claimed he committed suicide but refused to return his body.
“We hear a lot of reports of authorities obtaining confessions under torture and then being sentenced to years in prison for vague offences in trials lasting less than 15 minutes,” she said.
She said the site was well known for holding people for long periods in solitary confinement, with prisoners often denied medical treatment or adequate food.
As well as criminals and political prisoners, Evin has held women arrested for breaches of religious codes such as refusing to wear a hijab.
She said a number of women were recently put in Evin after removing their hijabs as part of an organised protest.
In 2011 Iran freed two American hikers Shane Bauer and Joshua Fattal who had been held in the country for more than two years. They documented the hardships of being held as prisoners in Evin in their book, A Sliver of Light.
The described the physical toll taken by the long periods of solitary confinement.
They were released after Oman paid $1 million in bail for the pair.
In 2003 Iranian-Canadian freelance photographer Zahra Kazemi died following torture and mistreatment at Evin prison.
Originally published as Australian bloggers Jolie King and Mark Firkin jailed in Iran over drone
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