Iran Releases British-Australian Academic In Prisoner Swap

Kylie Moore-Gilbert Released In Exchange For Three Iranians Held In Thailand

(New York, N.Y.) – In a prisoner swap last week, the Iranian regime released British-Australian academic Kylie Moore-Gilbert in exchange for three Iranians held by the Thai government in connection with a thwarted assassination attempt on Israeli diplomats in Bangkok. Moore-Gilbert was arrested and imprisoned by the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) in 2018 on baseless allegations that she was in Iran as an Israeli spy. Moore-Gilbert maintained her innocence and rejected offers from the IRGC to work for them in exchange for a shorter sentence.

United Against Nuclear Iran (UANI)’s resource, American And Western Hostages, provides an overview of the American and European citizens, residents, and asylees currently held by the Iranian regime on trumped-up charges.

During her imprisonment, Moore-Gilbert was reportedly held in solitary confinement, sleeping on the floor and with the lights always on. Her family was not permitted to visit her. She reportedly was denied access to legal counsel and went on several hunger strikes to protest her treatment by the prison authorities.

Iranian law only permits the use of solitary confinement during interrogation and investigation, but Moore-Gilbert reportedly remained isolated at Evin Prison long after her conviction. News media reported in June 2020 that prison guards beat and drugged Moore-Gilbert after she organized a choir to protest their detention. Moore-Gilbert was later observed to be virtually comatose at points and covered with bruises.

The Iranian regime currently holds several American and European citizens, residents, and asylees in their prisons. Iran takes hostages for several reasons. They serve as bargaining chips for the regime to extract concessions from other countries. The government also seeks to send a message to Iranians to refrain from internal dissent and punish undesirable behavior. Finally, Iran does not recognize dual citizenship, so by targeting dual nationals, the regime demonstrates to the Iranian expatriate community that they are not beyond Tehran’s grasp.

To explore UANI’s American And Western Hostages, please click here.

To read UANI’s profile on Kylie Moore-Gilbert, please click here.

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