Kylie Moore-Gilbert, an unyielding advocate for Australians wrongfully detained abroad, and following her personal ordeal as a diplomatic hostage in Iran from 2018 to 2020, has been awarded a prestigious Churchill Fellowship. The Churchill Fellowship recognizes her remarkable efforts to shed light on state hostage-taking and wrongful detention, as she will head to Canada, the UK, and the US to explore international best practices to enhance Australia’s approach to wrongful detention.
Kylie is a writer, academic, and a voice for justice. Her best-selling memoir, ‘The Uncaged Sky, my 804 days in an Iranian prison.’ published in 2022, shares her own experiences to scrutinize wrongful detention.
Kylie’s case questions Australia’s quiet diplomacy approach. Kylie believes media and the campaign to free her worked, but we can’t tell what’s most effective without knowing what our diplomats did behind the scenes. Dealing with regimes that don’t respect human rights is difficult, and every case is different.
Kylie said “I am pleased to have been awarded the Churchill Fellowship. This will allow me to glean further insights about what governments around the world are doing to actively deal with wrongful international detention of their citizens,”
“More needs to be done for people still wrongfully detained around the world, and I look forward to bringing my learnings home to Australia, to share with decision-makers.” said Kylie.
“Kylie’s journey of resilience and transformation is an inspiration to all Australians. We are proud to have awarded Kylie a Churchill Fellowship to seek further insights around the world, and drive positive changes for wrongfully detained citizens,” said Adam Davey, CEO of the Churchill Trust.
An academic powerhouse, Kylie holds degrees from the University of Cambridge and the University of Melbourne, and she currently serves as a visiting fellow at the University of Sydney’s Centre for International Security Studies.
Kylie’s insights have been shared at globally renowned events, including the Geneva Summit for Human Rights and Democracy, PEN, and the Festival of Dangerous Ideas.
Kylie’s Churchill Fellowship is a beacon of her commitment to addressing wrongful detention and championing human rights.