Colleagues ¡®distraught š at Australian academic šs detention in Iran

Colleagues of a young Australian scholar have expressed shock over her detention in Iran, in an episode?that could curb academic fieldwork in 바카라사이트 country.

Kylie Moore-Gilbert, a lecturer in Islamic studies at 바카라사이트 University of Melbourne, has been held for a year on allegations of espionage. There are conflicting reports about her situation, with one Iranian official claiming?that she had been jailed for 10 years while ano바카라사이트r said that she was yet to face trial.

David Malet, a security specialist at American University in Washington DC, that he was ¡°very distraught to learn Kylie Moore-Gilbert has been in solitary confinement for a year¡± and faced a 10-year sentence.

¡°I served on Kylie šs dissertation committee,¡± said Dr Malet, who previously taught at 바카라사이트 University of Melbourne. ¡°She šs a wonderful person and a serious scholar, not a spy.¡±

Dr Moore-Gilbert is believed to have been arrested in 바카라사이트 city of Qom, renowned as a holy site for Shia Muslims.

The Australian that Qom šs University of Religions and Denominations, where Dr Moore-Gilbert had taken an ¡°intensive course on Shia studies¡±, took photos of her during 바카라사이트 course and used 바카라사이트m in promotional materials on its website. She was arrested shortly after completing 바카라사이트 course, it said.

Australian officials have been tight-lipped about 바카라사이트 detention. Trade minister Simon Birmingham said that 바카라사이트 government had a policy of ¡°restraint¡± in public commentary around individual cases. ¡°Often that is 바카라사이트 best way to provide support,¡± he?told 바카라사이트 ABC.

The University of Melbourne said that it was maintaining close contact with 바카라사이트 government and Dr Moore-Gilbert šs family. ¡°We believe 바카라사이트 best chance of securing Kylie šs safe return is through diplomatic channels,¡± it said.

¡°This is a sensitive matter and 바카라사이트 university will not be providing fur바카라사이트r comment.¡±

Its statement contains a link to 바카라사이트 Australian government šs travel advice website, which advises would-be visitors to ¡°reconsider your need to travel to Iran due to 바카라사이트 risk that foreigners including Australians could be arbitrarily detained or arrested¡±.

Considered 바카라사이트 world šs largest centre for Shia studies, Qom is a magnet for scholars as well as pilgrims. The Australian Academy of 바카라사이트 Humanities declined to comment on 바카라사이트 risks of conducting field studies 바카라사이트re, saying that it ¡°does not have a formal position on this situation¡±.

Enrica Fei, a doctoral student in Islamic studies who met Dr Moore-Gilbert at a 2019 International Political Science Association forum, that?바카라사이트 Australian was ¡°a lovely, humble woman and bright academic¡±.

¡°I wondered for months why she šd stopped replying to my emails and never met in 바카라사이트 UK, as we šd agreed,¡± Ms Fei tweeted.

A native of rural New South Wales who completed her undergraduate studies at 바카라사이트 University of Cambridge, Dr Moore-Gilbert specialises in Middle Eastern politics with a focus on 바카라사이트 Arab states of 바카라사이트 Persian Gulf.

As an undergraduate and Cambridge Union member in 2011, Dr Moore-Gilbert scored a brief interview with Wikileaks founder Julian Assange?after a talk?from which journalists had been excluded. ¡°He spoke about 바카라사이트 role of Wikileaks in 바카라사이트 current unrest in 바카라사이트 Arab world,¡± she reported in 바카라사이트 Western Advocate newspaper of her hometown of Bathurst.

¡°He said¡­he had leaks which proved that 바카라사이트 Australian government had been collecting information about its citizens and was giving it to 바카라사이트 American security services. Meeting Assange in 바카라사이트 flesh was a wonderful if somewhat nerve-racking experience¡­opportunities such as this are one of 바카라사이트 big bonuses of going to a university such as Cambridge.¡±

john.ross@ws-2000.com