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| Australian and British bloggers Jolie King and Mark Firkin released in Iran | Australian and British bloggers Jolie King and Mark Firkin released in Iran |
| (32 minutes later) | |
| British-Australian woman Jolie King and her Australian boyfriend, Mark Firkin, have been released from detention in Iran, Australia’s foreign affairs minister has said. | British-Australian woman Jolie King and her Australian boyfriend, Mark Firkin, have been released from detention in Iran, Australia’s foreign affairs minister has said. |
| Marise Payne told reporters: “It is with some enormous relief that I announce that they have been released and returned.” | Marise Payne told reporters: “It is with some enormous relief that I announce that they have been released and returned.” |
| Payne confirmed British-Australian Kylie Moore-Gilbert was still in Tehran’s notorious Evin prison, where she has been for almost a year, having reportedly been handed a 10-year sentence. | Payne confirmed British-Australian Kylie Moore-Gilbert was still in Tehran’s notorious Evin prison, where she has been for almost a year, having reportedly been handed a 10-year sentence. |
| “Very long-term negotiations” were taking place to secure the release of the Cambridge-educated academic, Payne added. | “Very long-term negotiations” were taking place to secure the release of the Cambridge-educated academic, Payne added. |
| Payne said the Australian government held “very sensitive” negotiations with Iran over King and Firkin’s release and helped ensure they were treated appropriately while in detention. | Payne said the Australian government held “very sensitive” negotiations with Iran over King and Firkin’s release and helped ensure they were treated appropriately while in detention. |
| Iran confirms it has detained three Australian citizens | |
| “We have done that discretely, and I would note each case of an Australian detained overseas is different and requires a specific and a particular response,” she said. “For Jolie and for Mark, the ordeal they have been through is now over, they are being reunited with their loved ones.” | “We have done that discretely, and I would note each case of an Australian detained overseas is different and requires a specific and a particular response,” she said. “For Jolie and for Mark, the ordeal they have been through is now over, they are being reunited with their loved ones.” |
| She said all charges against King and Firkin had been dropped. | She said all charges against King and Firkin had been dropped. |
| Payne described Moore-Gilbert’s situation as “very complex”. | Payne described Moore-Gilbert’s situation as “very complex”. |
| “She has been detained for some considerable time, and has faced the Iranian legal system and has been convicted and sentenced … we are continuing our discussions with the Iranian government and we do not accept the charges upon which she was convicted and we would seek to have her returned to Australia.” | “She has been detained for some considerable time, and has faced the Iranian legal system and has been convicted and sentenced … we are continuing our discussions with the Iranian government and we do not accept the charges upon which she was convicted and we would seek to have her returned to Australia.” |
| Payne said King and Firkin were in good health and good spirits, and had requested privacy. | Payne said King and Firkin were in good health and good spirits, and had requested privacy. |
| King and Firkin left their home in Perth, Western Australia, in 2017, documenting their travels on a blog called The Way Overland. They were arrested three months ago near the Iranian capital for allegedly flying a drone – to shoot pictures for the travel blog – near military installations in Jajrood in Tehran province. They were then placed in Evin prison. | |
| Drone use with a permit is allowed in Iran, but there are strict conditions. People must not fly drones over people or large crowds, over the city of Tehran, or over sensitive areas. Flying a drone without a permit in Iran is punishable by six months in prison followed by immediate deportation. | |
| Payne reiterated Australia’s official travel advice for Iran is currently set to “reconsider your need to travel”, with the highest warning level, “do not travel”, applying in some parts of the country. | |
| “It goes to show the importance of appreciating the circumstances, the laws, the conditions of the countries in which Australians travel and the importance to review those whenever you make the decision to travel,” she said. | |
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