Australian Academic Kylie Moore-Gilbert’s freedom from a notorious Iranian prison did not come with the release of prisoners in Australia, Prime Minister Scott Morrison says, although he won’t confirm if terrorists overseas were freed in exchange.
Dr Moore-Gilbert, who had been detained in Iran for more than two years, was finally freed on Thursday.
She is on her way back to Australia, following years of intense and sensitive diplomatic negotiations, since her 2018 arrest
“Thank you also to all of you who have supported me and campaigned for my freedom, it has meant the world to me to have you behind me throughout what has been a long and traumatic ordeal,” she said in a statement.
“I have nothing but respect, love and admiration for the great nation of Iran and its warm-hearted, generous and brave people.”
Tweet from @madd_sarah
Iranian media has reported three men were released from overseas jails in a “swap” for Dr Moore-Gilbert. The Mehr news agency reported that Iran “decided to exchange her with three Iranian economic activists who had been detained for trying to circumvent sanctions”.
It’s unclear where the Iranians had been held, although the ABC is reporting that at least two had been jailed in Thailand. Mr Morrison has denied any prisoners were released in Australia to secure the 33-year-old’s freedom after 803 days in detention.
“I don’t go into those details, confirm them one way or the other. The way we are able to be successful in these arrangements is we deal with them discreetly,” the PM told Channel Nine’s Today show on Thursday.
“But I can assure Australians we would never do anything to prejudice the safety of Australians.”
Mr Morrison said he needed to exercise discretion in speaking about Dr Moore-Gilbert’s release, for reasons that included “the safety of other Australians who could find themselves in this situation”.
“There has been no one released in Australia,” he said.
However, the PM did not deny that prisoners in another country had been released in exchange for Dr Moore-Gilbert.
Foreign Minister Marise Payne said the academic’s release had been “achieved through diplomatic engagement with the Iranian government”.
In a Facebook post, Mr Morrison praised “our amazing team of consular and other officials, our [Department of Foreign Affairs] team, together with Minister Marise Payne, for doing such an outstanding job.”
Labor leader Anthony Albanese took aim at Iran’s government, saying it was “outrageous” that Iran “has used this situation, effectively, as a hostage situation”.
Shadow foreign affairs minister Penny Wong praised the “resilience” of Dr Moore-Gilbert and her family.
I’m greatly relieved to see Dr Kylie Moore-Gilbert freed from detention in Iran.
She and her family have shown extraordinary resilience.
We are thankful for the work of dedicated officials to bring Dr Moore-Gilbert home.
We wish Kylie and her loved ones a joyful homecoming.
— Senator Penny Wong (@SenatorWong) November 25, 2020
Mr Morrison will hold a press conference at 10.45am.
-more to come
The post PM denies prisoners freed in Australia to secure Kylie Moore-Gilbert’s release appeared first on The New Daily.
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