Australian-British academic Kylie Moore-Gilbert has been released from prison in Tehran in exchange for the release of three Iranian prisoners. The Iranian state television channel Irib reported this on Wednesday and is confirmed by Australia.
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Irib did not provide further details on the three Iranian detainees, but the channel is considered knowledgeable and close to the country’s judicial system.
Kylie Moore-Gilbert, Lecturer in Islamic Studies at the University of Melbourne, was established in Tehran in September 2018 arrested after an academic conference. She was later sentenced to ten years in prison in a secret trial on charges of espionage. Both Moore-Gilbert and the Australian government have denied the charges.
In a statement after the release, the woman cites the ‘injustice’ she had to deal with. She thanked everyone who supported her through the “long and dramatic ordeal.” Australian Foreign Minister Marise Payne stated, also in a statement, that the release was achieved through diplomatic talks with the Iranian government. Prime Minister Scott Morrison welcomed the release on the Australian channel Seven Australia, but he also did not accept a prisoner exchange.
Previous attempts by the Australian government to get her released through diplomacy had failed. Iran said its judicial system is independent and would not be affected by such steps.
Two prisoner exchanges with Iran have already taken place this year. A German was released in February and a French citizen in March, each in exchange for one Iranian prisoner.
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