The partner of Australian journalist, Cheng Lei, jailed in China, reveals the lack of contact she's receiving.
- The partner of Australian journalist, Cheng Lei, jailed in China, reveals the lack of contact she's receiving.
- Do Australians get enough help when in trouble abroad?
Do Australians get enough help when in trouble abroad or do they have unrealistic expectations of what can be done in a foreign country? Watch Insight 'In Trouble Abroad'
Nick Coyle was disappointed when he learnt Chinese authorities recently suspended face-to-face consular visits between his partner, Cheng Lei, and Australian officials, due to China’s coronavirus restrictions.
“She has her 30 minute, once a month, consular visit done via video call,” Mr Coyle said.
“She hasn't had the opportunity to speak to her family or children or me or anyone in that 23 months and counting.
Cheng Lei was working as a news anchor for the Chinese government's English TV channel CGTN when she was jailed on accusations of leaking state secrets.
She has been in prison for nearly two years in Beijing.
“We're hoping that there can be a swift, compassionate resolution to the situation that she's in, and that she can get home to see her kids, her family, loved ones as quickly as possible,” he said.
Cheng Lei was working as a business anchor for Chinese state broadcaster CGTV before her arrest. Credit: CGTN
“Our government has elevated advocacy, publicly, where ministers have gotten involved – ministers have made representations. But there are limitations and it really is very dependent on the readiness of the host government to take action on that.”
Mr Paterson has been Australia’s ambassador to Thailand, Mongolia and both North and South Korea.
He led Australia’s response to the 2004 Thai tsunami, which involved working closely with Thai authorities in a massive operation after 26 Australians were killed. More than 225,000 people in 14 countries were killed in the tsunami.
To go to the media or not
“It was a tiny box designed to break you, designed to psychologically torture you, break you down, make you go crazy and agree to anything under interrogation.”
Kylie Moore-Gilbert spent two years imprisoned in Iran, including 12 months in solitary confinement, after the Iranian Revolutionary Guard accused her of unfounded spying charges on behalf of Israel.
Her only links to Israel were her ex-husband’s passport and a few visits she had made there.
The Australian-British academic was arrested in September 2018 at Tehran Airport, after attending a conference.
Ms Moore-Gilbert was sentenced to 10 years in prison for espionage, but she was released after two years, after the Australian government organised a complex prisoner swap deal between Iran and Thailand.
But there was a window of opportunity early on to help her case, which the Australian Government missed, according to Ms Moore-Gilbert.
I felt that I could make an educated judgment call myself as to what was in my own interest and to determine my own fate.
“In the first few months of my arrest during the interrogation phase, before they had decided what to charge me with and before they had decided to refer my case into the judicial system, thereby formalising it, there was potential for some sort of backroom deal to be negotiated,” she told Insight.
“Had the government come and offered them something, the price probably would have been lower and easier to pay than what ultimately was paid for me, which was securing the release of these three convicted terrorists.”
Ms Moore-Gilbert acknowledged that her freedom was ultimately won through the efforts of the Australian Government’s high-level diplomacy.
“This was a rather remarkable deal and very complex multilateral deal,” she said.
Ms Moore-Gilbert initially wanted her family to speak to the media in the hope it would apply international pressure on Iran to release her, but the Australian Government advised against it.
Kylie Moore-Gilbert pictured beginning her journey home in November 2020. Source: AAP
“The fact that my wishes were ignored by both my family and the government was painful for me.”
Mr Paterson said it was generally not a good idea for Australians in trouble abroad to first seek media attention and contravene DFAT’s procedures.
“We're dealing with countries where there are other factors in play," he said.
"The embassy is probably best placed to understand those and to try and map out a course ahead resulting in firstly, proper procedure being followed and secondly, hopefully, a path to resolution."
The former ambassador said media attention risks a negative reaction from the host country and further conditions being placed on the individual’s release.
“A lot of backroom work is done, in Kylie's case, people like Nick Warner [Australian diplomat, intelligence official, public servant, and the Director-General of the Office of National Intelligence] were working behind the scenes and made a judgment that this was best kept out of the public eye,” he said.
DFAT provided assistance to nearly 39,000 Australians overseas from 2020 to 2021.
