Australian ambassador visits jailed scholar in Iran; assures she is 'well'

Australian ambassador Lyndall Sachs visited the British-Australian academic Kylie Moore-Gilbert at the Qarchak prison in Iran.

The ambassador visited the academician on Sunday as Kylie's family was worried about her health and welfare, after she was recently moved to the women's prison, which is in an old chicken-processing factory outside Tehran.

After the ambassador's visit, Moore-Gilbert's family said they "have been reassured" about her health.

Australia's Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade assured the family that the academician was well and had proper access to food, books and medical facilities.

Also read| Australia: As diplomacy 'fails', friends of jailed scholar in Iran begin public campaign 

Moore-Gilbert was a lecturer in Islamic Studies at the University of Melbourne and is believed to be detained in Iran in 2018, although Iran confirmed the detention only in September 2019. She was detained on the charges of spying, which she has denied. She is sentenced to 10 years in prison. 

"We continue to believe that Kylie's best chance at release is through diplomatic avenues," the statement released by the foreign ministry said.

Online groups such as "Free Kylie" have been surfacing in the past few months asking the government to try every possible way to bring the academic back home. However, the Australian government has asked people to not demand more ' muscular' ways and has assured that the government will keep trying for regular consular access.

Kylie's friends do not agree with Australia's "quiet diplomacy" and are urging the government to take stricter actions.