Australian university professor jailed in Iran for forming protest chanting group beaten
An Australian university professor imprisoned in Iran has been beaten by prison guards after forming a protest singing group in prison.
On Wednesday, June 19, The Times newspaper announced in its latest report on the situation of Kylie Moore Gilbert, an Australian citizen imprisoned in Iran, that Evin Prison authorities drugged and beat the Australian university professor after discovering that she had formed a protest song group in prison.
According to the report, Kylie Moore Gilbert, known among Evin Prison inmates as the face of prisoner resistance in the infamous Evin Prison, was attacked by guards who were determined to "keep her in subjection."
A source close to the Australian university professor's family told The Times that he was widely respected among prisoners for his innovative methods of resistance. However, it is alleged that Evin prison guards severely abused Kylie Moore Gilbert and that she was drugged, possibly on the orders of the prison governor, in an attempt to "subdue" her.
The report quoted another source as saying that Kylie Moore Gilbert suffered severe bruising after the beating and was being treated for injuries to her hand and arm. The source also said that the university professor was weak and unconscious.
The Times reports that the use of drugs in Iran's prison system to control prisoners' behavior is thought to be common. Most prisoners in Iran are also fed mainly bread and rice, with no access to fresh fruit and vegetables.
Dr Kylie Moore Gilbert, a dual Australian and British citizen, is a professor at the University of Melbourne and an expert on Middle East affairs with a focus on the Gulf States. She was arrested in Iran in the autumn of 2018 on “security and espionage” charges.
Previously, the Voice of America reported that Ms. Gilbert's family, in a statement released by the Australian Foreign Ministry in September of last year, believed that diplomatic channels were the best way to secure her release.
Currently, in addition to this Australian university professor imprisoned in Iran, a number of Iranian-American citizens, including Siamak and Baqer Namazi, and Morad Tahbaz, and citizens of other countries, including Kamran Ghaderi and Anousheh Ashouri, are imprisoned in Iran.
Western analysts have repeatedly said that the Islamic Republic uses dual nationals as hostages to extract money and privileges from Western governments. The United States State Department has repeatedly condemned the Islamic Republic’s regime’s arbitrary and unjustified detention of American and other citizens, including dual Iranian nationals, and called for their immediate and unconditional release.
Source: Voice of America
