Mystery surrounded the location of detained British-Australian academic Kylie Moore-Gilbert after activists reported that she had been moved to a secret location from Iran’s notoriously harsh Qarchak Prison.
Supporters criticised efforts by the Australian government to discover her whereabouts after Ms Moore-Gilbert said to have been moved from Qarchak, south of Tehran, along with her belongings.
She is serving a minimum ten-year jail term for espionage after a secret trial, having been arrested two years ago as she prepared to return to Australia after a study tour of Iran.
Campaigners say she is one of a number of foreign or dual-national citizens held on trumped-up charges by the Iranian regime to try to secure diplomatic concessions from their governments.
The reports came hours after a senior Iranian official met Ms Kylie Moore-Gilbert at Qarchak where “certain orders were issued in order to comply with their requests”, according to the semi-official ISNA news agency.
It reported that Ali Baqeri Kani, head of an official Iranian human rights group, had face-to-face talks with both Ms Moore-Gilbert and Nasrin Sotoudeh, the prominent Iranian activist lawyer who is being held at Evin jail in Tehran.
Ms Sotoudeh had been on hunger strike to campaign for the release of political prisoners because of the coronavirus pandemic, but ended her protest earlier this month due to health concerns.
It was not immediately clear if the move from Qarchak, which had been grappling with a Covid-19 outbreak, was a promising development.
Ms Moore-Gilbert was moved to Qarchak from Evin in July in what a US-based human rights group said was an act of “inexplicable cruelty” that would see her imprisoned with “violent criminals”.
The FreeKylieMG group on Monday called on Australia to summon the Iranian ambassador to question him about Ms Moore-Gilbert’s whereabouts.
“We are deeply concerned about the welfare of our dear friend and colleague Dr Kylie Moore-Gilbert, and the Australian government’s increasingly empty assurances that her case is their highest priority,” said the group.
“In short, if the reports are true, then an Australian citizen has gone missing within the Iranian prison system, despite the careful watch of ‘quiet diplomacy’.
“Kylie has been held as a hostage by a foreign government for 774 days and Australia has failed to achieve any meaningful progress in the case. It is high time that the Australian government rethinks its strategy. Kylie deserves so much better.”
Three ways to limit your social media use
Clinical psychologist, Dr Saliha Afridi at The Lighthouse Arabia suggests three easy things you can do every day to cut back on the time you spend online.
1. Put the social media app in a folder on the second or third screen of your phone so it has to remain a conscious decision to open, rather than something your fingers gravitate towards without consideration.
2. Schedule a time to use social media instead of consistently throughout the day. I recommend setting aside certain times of the day or week when you upload pictures or share information.
3. Take a mental snapshot rather than a photo on your phone. Instead of sharing it with your social world, try to absorb the moment, connect with your feeling, experience the moment with all five of your senses. You will have a memory of that moment more vividly and for far longer than if you take a picture of it.
Who has lived at The Bishops Avenue?
- George Sainsbury of the supermarket dynasty, sugar magnate William Park Lyle and actress Dame Gracie Fields were residents in the 1930s when the street was only known as ‘Millionaires’ Row’.
- Then came the international super rich, including the last king of Greece, Constantine II, the Sultan of Brunei and Indian steel magnate Lakshmi Mittal who was at one point ranked the third richest person in the world.
- Turkish tycoon Halis Torprak sold his mansion for £50m in 2008 after spending just two days there. The House of Saud sold 10 properties on the road in 2013 for almost £80m.
- Other residents have included Iraqi businessman Nemir Kirdar, singer Ariana Grande, holiday camp impresario Sir Billy Butlin, businessman Asil Nadir, Paul McCartney’s former wife Heather Mills.
Hunting park to luxury living
- Land was originally the Bishop of London's hunting park, hence the name
- The road was laid out in the mid 19th Century, meandering through woodland and farmland
- Its earliest houses at the turn of the 20th Century were substantial detached properties with extensive grounds
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Stage 2 Yas Island to Abu Dhabi, 184 km, Road race
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Stage winners: 1. Fernando Gaviria COL (UAE Team Emirates) 2. Elia Viviani ITA (Deceuninck - Quick-Step) 3. Caleb Ewan AUS (Lotto - Soudal)
Leap of Faith
Michael J Mazarr
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Dh67
Business Insights
- Canada and Mexico are significant energy suppliers to the US, providing the majority of oil and natural gas imports
- The introduction of tariffs could hinder the US's clean energy initiatives by raising input costs for materials like nickel
- US domestic suppliers might benefit from higher prices, but overall oil consumption is expected to decrease due to elevated costs
MATCH INFO
Chelsea 0
Liverpool 2 (Mane 50', 54')
Red card: Andreas Christensen (Chelsea)
Man of the match: Sadio Mane (Liverpool)
The biog
Born: Kuwait in 1986
Family: She is the youngest of seven siblings
Time in the UAE: 10 years
Hobbies: audiobooks and fitness: she works out every day, enjoying kickboxing and basketball
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Members of Syria's Alawite minority community face threat in their heartland after one of the deadliest days in country’s recent history. Read more
Volvo ES90 Specs
Engine: Electric single motor (96kW), twin motor (106kW) and twin motor performance (106kW)
Power: 333hp, 449hp, 680hp
Torque: 480Nm, 670Nm, 870Nm
On sale: Later in 2025 or early 2026, depending on region
Price: Exact regional pricing TBA
Killing of Qassem Suleimani
Sri Lanka Test squad:
Dimuth Karunaratne (stand-in captain), Niroshan Dickwella (vice captain), Lahiru Thirimanne, Kaushal Silva, Kusal Mendis, Kusal Janith Perera, Milinda Siriwardana, Dhananjaya de Silva, Oshada Fernando, Angelo Perera, Suranga Lakmal, Kasun Rajitha, Vishwa Fernando, Chamika Karunaratne, Mohamed Shiraz, Lakshan Sandakan and Lasith Embuldeniya.
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Killing of Qassem Suleimani
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