British academic released from jail in Iran after two years in prisoner swap
The British-Australian academic Kylie Moore-Gilbert has been released by Iran in exchange for three Iranians held abroad, according to state TV in the country.
The Middle Eastern studies lecturer, who strongly denied the espionage charges against her and was tried in secret, had been on hunger strike and claimed ‘grievous violations’ of her rights in prison.
Ms Moore-Gilbert, who was working at Melbourne University, was sent to Tehran’s Evin Prison in September 2018 and sentenced to 10 years in prison.
The state TV report did not reveal further details about the deal, but said she was exchanged for two Iranian citizens and an Iranian businessman. They were detained for trying to bypass sanctions, it said.
Ms Moore-Gilbert is one of several people held in Iran on espionage charges which have been roundly criticised and that their families and rights groups say are unfounded.
The release may give some hope to the family of Nazanin Zaghari-Ratcliffe, who is also in prison in Iran.
It was not immediately clear when Ms Moore-Gilbert would arrive back in Australia.
State TV aired video showing her with a grey hijab sitting at what appeared to be a greeting room at one of Tehran’s airports. She was wearing a blue face mask under her chin.
The footage showed three men with Iranian flags over their shoulders – those freed in exchange for her being released. It described them as ‘economic activists’.
International pressure on Iran to secure Ms Moore-Gilbert’s release has escalated in recent months following reports that her health was deteriorating during long stretches of solitary confinement and that she had been transferred to the notorious Qarchak Prison, east of Tehran.
Ms Moore-Gilbert has gone on hunger strikes and pleaded for the Australian government to do more to free her.
Those pleas included writing to the prime minister that she had been subjected to ‘grievous violations’ of her rights, including psychological torture and solitary confinement.
Kate Allen, the Director at Amnesty International UK, said: ‘We were always extremely concerned that Kylie was imprisoned solely for exercising her right to freedom of expression – including through her work as an academic – and it’s an enormous relief to hear of her release.
‘There may now be renewed grounds for hoping that UK-Iranian dual-nationals like Nazanin Zaghari-Ratcliffe and Anoosheh Ashoori will also be released from their unjust jail terms in Iran in the coming days or weeks.
‘We’d like to see the UK government pulling out all the stops to pressure the Iranian authorities into ending the judicial charade that has seen Nazanin and Anoosheh held for so long.’
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MORE : Nazanin Zaghari-Ratcliffe ‘facing new charge in Iran after temporary release’