British-Australian couple released from prison in Iran after charges dropped
5 October 2019, 08:48
A British-Australian couple have been released from prison in Iran after they were detained for allegedly flying a drone.
Jolie King and her boyfriend Mark Firkin were released on Saturday after the Iranian authorities decided to drop all charges against the couple.
They were detained in July for alleged spying after they were seen taking photos from deemed "sensitive areas" using a drone.
The pair have been held inside Iran's notorious Evin Prison in Tehra for three months, but the Australian government secured their release this week.
Confirming the news, Australian Foreign Affairs Minister, Marise Payne, told reporters: “It is with some enormous relief that I announce that they have been released and returned.
“We have done that discretely, and I would note each case of an Australian detained overseas is different and requires a specific and a particular response.
“For Jolie and for Mark, the ordeal they have been through is now over, they are being reunited with their loved ones.”
Ms Payne confirmed in September that the couple has been detained, and has been fighting the case ever since.
Response on the detention of Australians in Iran.#Iran @Smartraveller @DFAT pic.twitter.com/sL0dtv5Guz
— Marise Payne (@MarisePayne) September 12, 2019
Before the incident, the couple were creating a blog whilst travelling by car from Canberra to London.
Authorities in Iran wanted to minimise the coverage of the arrest, but the news gained prominence on social media just days afterwards.
