Govt mum on claims of prisoner swap with Iran

PERTH: Australia’s attorney-general yesterday refused to comment whether a prisoner swap was behind the release of two Australians from Iran in exchange for an Iranian student who was facing extradition to the United States.

The couple, Jolie King and Mark Firkin, returned to Australia on Saturday after all charges against them were dropped.

They spent almost three months in Tehran’s notorious Evin prison after they were arrested for flying a drone near a military zone without a licence.

At the same time, Iran’s state TV and overseas media outlets reported that an Iranian scientist, Reza Dehbashi, who was detained for 13 months in Australia for purchasing a defence system for his country from the United States, had returned home.

Mr Dehbashi had been a research student at the University of Queensland.

Attorney-General Christian Porter confirmed Mr Dehbashi would not be extradited to the United States but refused to comment on an apparent swap.

“The Australian government does not comment on the details behind its consideration of particular cases,’’ he said.

“And while it is likely that because of Mr Dehbashi’s nationality some will speculate regarding this matter, consistent with prior practice I do not intend to comment further on the particular details of this case, particularly when any such response from me may diminish our government’s capacity to deal with future matters of this type in Australia’s best interests,’’ he said.