Perth travel bloggers Jolie King and Mark Firkin have been released from detention in Iran, almost four months after being arrested for flying a drone without a licence.
Foreign Minister Marise Payne told reporters on Saturday the couple had been released and would be heading home to Australia to be reunited with their families.
Ms King and Mr Firkin were arrested by the Iranian Special Guard and were being held in the notorious Evin prison in Tehran since July.
“For Jolie and Mark the ordeal they have been through is now over,” she said. “They are in good health and in good spirits.”
“Jolie and Mark were arrested and detained in Iran … the government has worked very hard through diplomatic channels to secure their release.”
The couple had been globetrotting since 2017, documenting their travels under the user name The Way Overland on YouTube and to nearly 20,000 followers on Instagram.
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On a crowd-funding page, Mr Firkin and Ms King described their “life-changing adventure” as an escape from the daily corporate grind.
The couple had typically uploaded videos to social media every week or so. But their 60th, and final, video was about two months ago – with the silence prompting concerns from fans.
“You guys OK? It’s been a while,” one follower wrote.
“Guys, where are you. It’s been a month – R U OK?,” wrote another.
Mr Firkin is reportedly a construction manager while Ms King is a building designer. They met about 2012 and moved from NSW to Perth in 2015.
Earlier in September, Prime Minister Scott Morrison said Department of Foreign Affairs officials had been involved in the cases for “some time” and their work would continue.
He said the government would continue to carefully pursue the “very sensitive” cases.
“They’re never issues that are addressed well by offering public commentary on them,” he said.
Ms King’s and Mr Firkin’s families released a statement through DFAT on September 18, saying they hoped to see the couple again 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,” they said.
Drone use with a permit is allowed in Iran, but there are strict conditions.
People must not fly drones over people or large crowds, over the city of Tehran, or over sensitive areas.
Flying a drone without a permit in Iran is punishable by six months in prison followed by immediate deportation.
The notorious Evin prison is where Iran holds its political prisoners and has a reputation for being the scene of various human rights abuses, including summary executions.
Australia’s official travel advice for Iran is set to “reconsider your need to travel”.
The highest warning level – “do not travel” – applies in some parts of the country.
There is a risk that foreigners, including Australians, could be arbitrarily detained or arrested.
The advice states Australians may be at greater risk if they have a profile that can be seen adversely by Iran, or undertake activities which could attract the attention of its authorities.
-with AAP
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