Australian-British academic jailed in Iran moved to dangerous desert prison
Kylie Moore-Gilbert has been moved to the Qarchak prison after spending nearly two years in Tehran's notorious Evin detention center.
Iran has transferred an Australian-British academic serving a 10-year-sentence for espionage to one of its most notorious prisons, which activists describe as rife with disease and violence.
Kylie Moore-Gilbert, a lecturer on Middle East politics at the University of Melbourne, had been held in northern Tehran’s Evin prison for nearly two years. In what appears to be a form of punishment, she’s been moved to Iran’s notorious Qarchak women’s prison, located east of the capital.
The Australian government, which maintains an embassy in Iran, confirmed the transfer in a statement Tuesday and described Moore-Gilbert’s case as one its “highest priorities.”
"Our Ambassador to Iran recently visited Dr. Moore-Gilbert in Evin Prison, and she has had telephone contact with her family and the Ambassador over the last several months,” the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade said. “We hold Iran responsible for Dr. Moore-Gilbert's safety and well-being."
