Login
iscover
It is fundamental for Australians to look at the broader context around hostage negotiations with Iran.
To continue reading the rest of this article, please log in.
Create free account to get unlimited news articles and more!
Dr Kylie Moore-Gilbert alleged that the government’s approach to securing her freedom, namely a nuanced, subtle and diplomatic outreach program, prevented her from being released earlier. Rather, the Commonwealth would have been better off running a public advocacy campaign that sought to shine a spotlight on her plight to regular Australians.
Middle East specialist at the Australian National University’s (ANU) Centre for Arab & Islamic Studies Ian Parmeter examined Dr Moore-Gilbert’s assertion. Prior to his tenure at the ANU, Parmeter served as Australia’s Ambassador to Lebanon.
Parmeter draws on two examples from the United Kingdom of situations in which governments and the press attempted to force the hand of a foreign government by mounting a public advocacy campaign.
Firstly, he cited the example of Matthew Hedges in 2018. Hedges was a British doctoral candidate who visited the United Arab Emirates to undertake research for his PhD. While in the UAE, Hedges was convicted for spying and sentenced to life in prison, prompting his family and the British government to execute a public advocacy campaign and demand his return home. The public advocacy campaign allegedly surprised the UAE, leading them to pardon Hedges on UAE National Day and release him.
Secondly, Parmeter cited the example of British and Iranian dual national Nazanin Zaghari-Ratcliffe. Zaghari-Ratcliffe was arrested on charges of espionage in 2016 for which she received five years in prison. Despite the protestations of the British government and media, Iran simply did not yield to public pressure. Parmeter explained that having finished her five-year sentence, Zaghari-Ratcliffe may see her time in incarceration extended due to further charges.
Why did the public advocacy campaign work in the first example but not the second?
Parmeter explained that as Iran does not possess a robust and friendly relationship with the United Kingdom, they simply do not care about British grievances.
“Essentially, for Iran, hostage-taking is a business,” Parmeter explains.
“It currently holds more than a dozen Westerners and dual nationals on charges that seem fabricated. The price for their release is usually the freeing of Iranian prisoners held by their governments. But sometimes governments are asked to use their influence with other governments to free Iranians held elsewhere.”
This pattern of extortion has been seen the world over.
Indeed, even the United States had undertaken an exchange program with Iran in which US citizen Xiyue Wang was released in exchange for an Iranian scientist.
Parmeter outlines that when Wang “described the approach of his Iranian jailers. They were absolutely blunt. He would be held until the US government agreed to exchange an Iranian national held in the US.”
“Iran has a nice little earner here. With hardliners ascendant in Tehran, it’s not likely to give it up soon,” Parmeter continued.
Parmeter explained that looking back, it is unlikely that a public advocacy campaign would have expedited the release of Dr Moore-Gilbert as Iran simply would have remained unfazed as to the opinions of the Australian public. However, extorting the lives of hostages and alleged law breakers is too good of a business for Iran to give up.
Get involved with the discussion and let us know your thoughts on Australia's future role and position in the Indo-Pacific region and what you would like to see from Australia's political leaders in terms of partisan and bipartisan agenda setting in the comments section below, or get in touch with
