Free Kylie Moore-Gilbert

We have the deepest respect for the Australian Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade’s  (DFAT) directive to remain quiet about Kylie’s situation so that quiet bilateral diplomacy can bring her home, but we believe that this strategy on its own has failed. As of today, Kylie has spent 804 days in prison, with the government making little headway in improving her day-to-day living conditions, let alone securing her release.

We are calling for a public campaign to raise Kylie’s profile among the Australian public, and to pressure the government to explore all diplomatic options to resolve the situation. We believe that this case has only a diplomatic solution and that ultimately DFAT will be the body that brings Kylie home, but we would like to show Kylie our support, and pressure the government to empower DFAT to do whatever it takes to bring her home.

We come from across Australia, from a range of universities and walks of life. Some of us are subject matter experts on the Middle East, while others are friends and concerned supporters. We want to help Kylie, and to let her know that we will leave no stone unturned until she returns home.

We are so sorry for what is happening – we cannot even imagine the pain you are facing with the continued detention of Kylie, and our wishes are with you and the family. We respect your decision to keep out of public as this case has continued. Although we had reservations about this approach, we too remained out of the public eye in hope that the government’s quiet diplomatic approach would work.

Like you, we were bitterly disappointed to hear the most recent news about Kylie’s transfer. To us, this means that after two years, the quiet diplomatic approach pursued by the government has not only failed to bring Kylie home, it has not even been able to prevent her transfer to Qarchak prison or ensure her basic comfort and access to consular services.

We can’t in good faith remain silent any more. We believe that this campaign can go hand-in-hand with the quiet diplomatic approach that you have endorsed. Adding another dimension to her cause could provide some much-needed pressure to secure the political will here in Australia to get Kylie released as soon as possible.

Please feel free to contact us if you have any concerns or if you wish to speak to us more about what we are doing. We understand that you may not be in a position to support our campaign fully, but if you or any members of the immediate family would like to work with us in any way, we welcome you with open arms. Please know that we think about you every day.

Drop us an email at FreeKylieMG@gmail.com or follow us on Twitter @FreeKylieMG