Kylie Moore-Gilbert’s family relieved after envoys visit her Iranian jail

Kylie Moore-Gilbert’s best chance of securing release Iran’s notorious Qarchak Prison is diplomacy, her family says.

Kylie Moore-Gilbert. Picture: University of Melbourne.

The family of Australian woman Kylie Moore-Gilbert has expressed relief after a consular visit to the jailed academic in Iran’s notorious Qarchak Prison found she had access to food, medical facilities and books.

Dr Moore-Gilbert’s best chance of securing release lay in diplomacy, the family said in a statement after the Australian embassy visited the Melbourne University academic two days ago.

The statement indicates the family does not support recent calls by Dr Moore-Gilbert’s friends and colleagues for a public campaign to ramp up pressure on the Australian government to do more to secure her release.

Dr Kylie Moore-Gilbert

“We the family have been reassured after the Australian embassy’s visit with Kylie on Sunday,” the family said in the statement issued by the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade on Tuesday.

“We remain committed to getting our Kylie home as soon as possible and this is our top and only priority.

“We continue to believe that Kylie’s best chance at release is through diplomatic avenues and are in close contact with DFAT and the Australian government on the best ways to achieve this.”

Her family said they were thankful that Dr Moore-Gilbert had “so many strong supporters and friends who love and care about her safe return”.

“We ask that you continue to respect both Kylie’s and our privacy while we concentrate on getting her home,” they said.

Dr Moore-Gilbert is two years into a 10-year sentence for “spying” after she was reported for asking “suspicious’’ questions during an Iranian study tour in 2018.

Australia’s ambassador to Iran, Lyndall Sachs, made a consular visit to Dr Moore-Gilbert on Sunday, finding she “is well and has access to food, medical facilities and books”.

“We will continue to seek regular consular access to Dr Moore-Gilbert,” DFAT said.

Iran’s Qarchak prison, where Kylie Moore-Gilbert is jailed.

“We believe that the best chance of resolving Dr Moore-Gilbert’s case lies through the diplomatic path and not through the media. Dr Moore-Gilbert and her family have requested privacy.”

The academic’s friends and colleagues recently created a new website called “freekylie.net”, and called for a public campaign to “pressure the government to empower DFAT to do whatever it takes to bring her home”.

“We have the deepest respect for the Australian Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade‘s (DFAT) directive to remain quiet about Kylie’s situation so that quiet bilateral diplomacy can bring her home, but we believe that this strategy on its own has failed,” the website says.