The problem of Australian dual-nationals detained overseas
Listen to Australian and world news, and follow trending topics with
83-year-old Shokrollah Jebeli spent the last two years of his life incarcerated in Iran’s notorious Evin prison.
According to Iranian authorities, the dual Australian-Iranian citizen was jailed over a financial dispute.
But Amnesty International says he was denied a fair trial, was subjected to two years of torture and refused urgent medical care.
The claims are backed up by his son, Peyman Jebeli.
“You feel like you shouldn’t be living a normal life when someone else who’s so dear to you and close to you is experiencing terrible pain. There’s no doubt in my mind that my father was innocent and he died innocently.”
According to the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade, it repeatedly sought Mr Jebeli’s release – but Iran refused to acknowledge Mr Jebeli’s Australian citizenship, and the right to consular access.
His son says he was not kept updated about his father’s case by the Australian government.
“You feel a myriad of emotions. You feel angry, because you feel abandoned. It’s not for another country to decide whether I’m Australian or my father’s Australian. It’s for Australia to make that decision.”
Situations like this have spurred a Senate Inquiry into the wrongful detention of Australians overseas.
Dr Kylie Moore-Gilbert is an academic, specialising in Middle Eastern political science.
She is using her high-profile personal experience of being imprisoned in Iran for more than two years on espionage charges to advocate for change.
“Australia absolutely needs a robust framework and set of policies in place for how we manage cases of hostage diplomacy and wrongful detention more broadly. Iran has targeted Australians on multiple occasions, not just myself there more than we might think, larger numbers than we might think.”
SBS understands there are at least two Australian dual-nationals currently detained in Iran.
Dr Moore-Gilbert emphasises another tactic involved on Iran’s part.
“There’s also an aspect of transnational repression involved. And we know that Iranian agents are operating here on Australian soil. They’ve threatened woman life freedom protestors and they’ve been operating conducting surveillance of the Iranian Australian community here in Australia.”
Liberal Party Senator Claire Chandler is chairing the Senate inquiry.
She says lack of support for the family of detained person is a common criticism that’s been made to the inquiry.
“We’ve heard from witnesses through the Senate inquiry family members of Australians who were detained overseas, and they spoke about how scary it was when they weren’t getting regular updates from government.”
According to a spokesperson for the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade, Australia stands resolutely against the practice of arbitrary detention, arrest and sentencing wherever it may occur, including when used for diplomatic leverage.
Peyman Jebeli believes changes to the system, such as a special envoy for those wrongfully detained, could save lives.
He wishes more was done to help his father.
“If he walked into this room, he would breathe life into the room. That’s the kind of person he was so charismatic. I think it would be a noble thing to have helped him and brought him back to his grandchild.”
The Iranian embassy in Canberra was contacted for this story, but failed to respond.
This story was co-produced with SBS Persian
