Yahoo News Kylie Moore-Gilbert: Envoy visits British-Australian academic held by Iran in notorious desert jail
Diplomatic officials have visited a Cambridge-educated academic held in Iran, confirming that she has been moved to a notorious desert prison.
British-Australian citizen Kylie Moore-Gilbert was visited in Qarchak women’s prison yesterday by Australia’s ambassador Lyndall Sachs, whose spokesman said she was well and had access to food, medical facilities and books.
She had been moved from Evin prison in Tehran.
Dr Moore-Gilbert graduated from Cambridge University in 2013. She was most recently a lecturer in Islamic studies at Melbourne University.
In September 2018 she was arrested at Tehran airport after a conference and later given a 10-year sentence, officially for spying, which she denies.
Her family said they were “reassured” by the visit, saying: “We remain committed to getting our Kylie home as soon as possible.”
The overcrowded prison is known for human rights abuses, say activists.
The Centre for Supporters of Human Rights last week reported that Dr Moore-Gilbert had been moved, citing information from Reza Khandan, whose wife, human rights lawyer Nasrin Sotoudeh, is imprisoned in Evin.
In a Facebook post, Mr Khandan said Dr Moore-Gilbert was moved to Qarchak for “punishment”.
Letters smuggled out of prison and published in January revealed her fears for her mental health.
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