Human rights advocates are concerned Iran and other countries may be encouraged to take Australians and other nationalities into arbitrary detention, after the release of academic Kylie Moore-Gilbert in an apparent prisoner-swap exchange.
The 33-year-old British-Australian academic was released on Thursday reportedly in exchange for three Iranians in Thailand who have been linked to a botched Bangkok bomb plot against Israeli nationals in 2012.
Footage of the trio draped in Iranian flags and being greeted by Iranian officials was played by Iranian state media reporting on Ms Moore-Gilbert’s release.
In October 2019, two other Australians, travel bloggers Jolie King and Mark Firkin, were released by Iran in another apparent swap for Iranian student Reza Dehbashi.
Prime Minister Scott Morrison said no prisoner in Australia had been released as part of Ms Moore-Gilbert’s release, but he would not be drawn on questions around what may have been discussed with Thailand.
American-Iranian journalist Jason Rezaian spent a year and a half in an Iranian jail accused of spying for the US in 2014.
Three Iranians reportedly released by Thailand in exchange for the release of Kylie Moore Gilbert Source: IRBA
Mr Rezaian says the cases of foreigners detained in Iran usually follow the same script: arrest, no legal counsel, interrogation, sometimes psychological torture and threats, followed by a "sham" trial.
“There's a very high likelihood that she was interrogated by literally the same people that I was,” he told SBS News.
Mr Rezaian said while it was a relief to see Ms Moore-Gilbert’s release, he also felt “anger” that she had been detained for more than 800 days.
He said Ms Moore-Gilbert was clearly a hostage.
“The Islamic Republic of Iran has been taking foreign nationals and using them as hostages since its inception in 1979. It's not the only government that does this, but it does it with more regularity than any other country that I'm aware of,” he said.
Human rights advocates are concerned that Iran’s demands for a prisoner exchange will encourage it to continue taking more “hostages”.
Roya Boroumand, the executive director of US-based human rights organisation Abdorrahman Boroumand Center, warned Australians against travelling to Iran.
“We hope that there wouldn't be more Australians arrested in Iran - at the same time we are worried that, who is going to be next,” she told SBS News.
“People who want to go to Iran, whether it's for academic purposes or for tourism they really should think twice about it.”
Ms Boroumand said Iran has a history of using hostages to secure the release of Iranian prisoners overseas.
“In my experience, they (Iran) have often succeeded," she said.
Iran has never had to face consequences for these actions, she added.
“Countries are happy to end the problem, and just move on. And as a result, you know, there is no consequence.”
Elaine Pearson, Australian director of Human Rights Watch, said Iran has been “pretty upfront” about its practice of prisoner exchanges, referring to comments made by Foreign Minister Javad Zarif on detained British-Iranian Nazanin Zaghari-Ratcliffe.
Kylie Moore-Gilbert, center inside van, is seen in Tehran, Iran. Source: Iranian State Television
"Let's have an exchange, I'm ready to do it," Mr Zarif said in 2019.
Ms Pearson said governments had few options if they wanted to free their citizens, but countries that were abusing human rights had to somehow be held to account.
“This is an ongoing concern... we need collective action by governments also calling out the practice of hostage diplomacy,” she told SBS News.
“The pressure should really be on Iran, that the Iranian government should not be using people's lives in this way, in order to extract...certain benefits or releases of other people.
“To use… innocent people in this way, is really unconscionable.”
Iran isn't the only country being accused of using political prisoners.
Australian writer Yang Hengjun Australian journalist Cheng Lei are being held in China in what human rights groups believe may be politically motivated reasons.
Australian actor Karm Gilespie is also facing a death sentence in China for drug smuggling offences.
