In comments received by CNN News Sky linked to CNN on Tuesday, Kylie Moore-Gilbert also criticized the Australian government’s attempts to use “silent diplomacy” to liberate her.
Moore-Gilbert told Sky News that her first room was a “two-meter to two-meter box,” with no toilet.
“I would say (it was) the lonely guard room, designed to break you. It’s a psychological torture,” she said. “There were a few times in that period that I felt broken, I felt like I had to suffer another day of this, you know, if I could kill myself.”
She said she was once kidnapped by prison guards and quietly taken in peacefully against her will.
Moore-Gilbert said the allegations that she was a spy were “false.” “There is no evidence that I was a spy for any country. Even the Revolutionary Guards could not work out which country I was thinking of,” she said in the interview.
She said while she was being held, Iran’s authorities also told her they would release her if she agreed to spy on them.
“I don’t think they were particularly interested in spying on Australia, they were more interested in using my academic status as a cover story and traveling to other countries in the Middle East and maybe European countries, maybe America, I don’t know, “she said.
Diagnosis of ‘silent diplomacy’
In her interview with Sky News, Moore-Gilbert said that she learned during her incarceration that the media was aware of her situation but that the Australian government had asked them not to report the stories.
“The line the government has been running is that trying to find a solution diplomatically behind the scenes with Iran is the best way to get me out,” she said. “And the media would make things complicated and make Iran angry … and make things worse for me.”
Moore-Gilbert said she was grateful to the Australian government for their support in releasing him from prison. However, she was not convinced that so-called silent diplomacy was the right way, as her prison situation improved after her name was announced by the media in 2019.
“I noticed that a lot more attention was paid to my health and conditions, so I definitely saw benefits from that. And I’m not sure the silent diplomatic arguments are coming up in such a way. case, although each case is different, “she said.
At a press conference on Wednesday, Australian Prime Minister Scott Morrison said he was so strong in Moore-Gilbert’s bravery and courage, but that there were events behind the scenes when he was released that she was unaware of.
“I am aware of these issues and I have been directly involved in many of the decisions, of course, all the decisions that ultimately ended with his release, “he said.
“And I know Kylie Moore-Gilbert is very grateful for that.”
In a statement to CNN, a spokesman for the Australian Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade said they would not discuss the “circumstances in which he was released. “
“Each console case is by its nature complex and considered individually, with a case-by-case strategy developed,” the spokesperson said.