Bishop offers to help free Aussies held in Iran

Julie Bishop has offered to help the government secure the release of Australians detained in Iran.

Then foreign affairs minister Julie Bishop met with the Islamic Republic of Iran Foreign Affairs minister Dr Mohammad Javad Zarif at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in Tehran Iran inl 2015. Picture: Andrew Meares

Former foreign minister Julie Bishop has offered to help the government secure the release of Australians detained in Iran, citing­ a “constructive’’ relationship with the Iranian Foreign Minister.

Ms Bishop, who retired at the May federal election and stood down as foreign minister after Malcolm Turnbull was dumped as prime minister last year, said she would make herself available “should the government make that request’’.

“I have a longstanding and constructive relationship with Iranian Foreign Minister (Mohammad Javad) Zarif and I met with President (Hassan) Rouhani during my visit to Tehran,’’ Ms Bishop told The Australian.

“I am available to support the government in its efforts to secure the release of the detained Aust­ralians, should the government make that request.’’

Kylie Moore-Gilbert.

Perth residents Jolie King, left, and Mark Firkin, right.

Ms Bishop visited Iran in 2015, discussing with Mr Zarif a range of topics, including the Islamic State conflict and asylum-seeker issues.

An Australian academic, Kylie Moore-Gilbert, is being held in an Iranian prison after being arrested­ more than a year ago and Australian travel-blogging couple­ Jolie King and Mark Firkin­ were detained by Tehran nearly three months ago for allegedly flying a drone near a military installation.

Ms Bishop’s comments came as it emerged that the Iranian woman thought to be at the centre­ of a prisoner-swap plot, discussed with at least one of the three Australians being held by the Gulf state, could be deport­ed back to Tehran within five years.

The Iranian, Negar Ghodskani, was extradited from Australi­a to the US on July 19 — just weeks after Ms King and Mr Firkin were detained by Tehran.

Iranian woman Negar Ghodskani, who is believed to be at the centre of a prisoner-swap plot. Picture: AP

After being detained, Ms King was reportedly told that she was being held as part of a plan to negotiate a prisoner swap with Australia.

Although there has been no confirmation that the purported plan involves Ms Ghodskani, Mr Zarif has repeatedly cited her case, including when suggesting prisoner exchanges.

Ms Ghodskani migrated to Australia in 2012 and business records show she set up a Jim’s Cleaning franchise in Adelaide three years later. She was arrested in 2017 — after being accused of smuggling sensitive technology from the US to Iran between 2010 and 2012 — and remained in detentio­n until her extradition to the US. A US judge last month ­issued an “order of removal” for Ms Ghodskani for the moment she is freed from custody.

This came after Ms Ghodskani cut a deal with US prosecutors whereby she admitted to committing a fraud offence in exchange for other charges — including money laundering and breaching sanctions placed on Iran — being dropped. Prosecutors have suggested­ she be sentenced to between three years and 10 months’ and four years and nine months’ imprisonment — but it is unclear if Ms Ghodskani’s two years of detention in Australia would be taken into consideration.

A judge in a federal court in Minnesota said Ms Ghodskani “has waived the opportunity to pursue any and all forms of relief and protection from removal” from the US.

“It is ordered … that the defendant be removed from the United States to Iran, promptly upon her satisfaction of any sentence of imprisonment, or if the defendant is not sentenced to a term of imprisonment, promptly upon her sentencing,” Judge Joan Erickson ruled on August 15.

The Iranian Foreign Minister called for a prisoner exchange, citing Ms Ghodskani’s case, during a talk in New York in April.

“We have an Iranian lady in Australia who gave birth to a child in prison … on an extradition request­ by the United States because she was responsible as a translator in a … purchase of some transmission equipment for (an) Iranian broadcasting company,” Mr Zarif said.

“I put this offer on the table publicly now: exchange them.”

Foreign Minister Marise Payne has held meetings with Mr Zarif to discuss the detention of Australians.