Australian University Professor Imprisoned in Iran Assaulted by Prison Guards for Forming Protest Choir Group
An Australian university professor imprisoned in Iran has been beaten by prison guards after forming a protest choir group in prison.
The Times reported on Wednesday, June 18, in its latest report on the condition of “Kylie Moore-Gilbert,” an imprisoned Australian citizen in Iran, that Evin Prison authorities assaulted and poisoned the Australian university professor with drugs after discovering that she had formed a protest choir group in the prison.
According to the report, Kylie Moore-Gilbert, who is known among Evin Prison inmates as the face of prisoner resistance in the notorious Evin Prison, was attacked by guards who were determined to “keep her obedient.”
A source close to the family of the Australian university professor told the Times that she is highly respected among prisoners for her innovative methods of resistance. However, it is reported that Evin Prison guards subjected Kylie Moore-Gilbert to severe physical abuse, and she was likely given drugs on the orders of the prison’s chief in order to “subdue” her.
In the report, citing another informed source, it was announced that after this beating, severe bruises were seen on Kylie Moore-Gilbert’s body, and she received treatment for injuries to her hand and arm. This informed person also described the condition of the university professor as weak and unconscious.
According to the Times report, it is believed that the use of drugs in Iran’s prison system is a common method to control prisoner behavior. Additionally, most prisoners’ food in Iran consists mainly of bread and rice, with no access to fresh fruits and vegetables.
Dr. Kylie Moore-Gilbert, who is simultaneously an Australian and British citizen, is a professor at the University of Melbourne and an expert on Middle Eastern affairs with a focus on Persian Gulf countries. She was arrested in Iran in the fall of 2018 on charges of “security-related offenses and espionage.”
Previously, Voice of America reported that Ms. Gilbert’s family, in a statement published by the Australian Department of Foreign Affairs in September of last year, believes that diplomatic channels are the best way to ensure her freedom.
Currently, apart from this imprisoned Australian university professor in Iran, a number of Iranian-American citizens including Siamak and Baquer Namazi and Morad Tahbaz, as well as citizens of other countries including Kamran Ghadiri and Anoosheh Ashoori, have been imprisoned in Iran.
Western analysts have repeatedly stated that the Islamic Republic uses dual nationals as hostages to extract money and concessions from Western governments. The U.S. Department of State has repeatedly condemned the arbitrary and despotic detention of American citizens and citizens of other countries, including dual-national Iranians, by the Islamic Republic regime and has called for their immediate and unconditional release.
Source: Voice of America
