A former Iranian political prisoner says two Kiwis freed from the country were fortunate that 'quiet diplomacy' worked.
It is believed Kiwi travel bloggers Topher Richwhite and Bridget Thackwray were detained for several months after entering Iran in July.
The couple were released and returned to New Zealand earlier this week after the Government worked behind the scenes to ensure their safety. 1News and other media agreed to delay reporting on the couple's plight while they remained in detention as the families of Richwhite and Thackwray, as well as MFAT officials, believed publicity from media reports could place the couple at further risk.
However, former Iranian prisoner and Canadian-Iranian journalist Maziar Bahari told Q+A this morning the couple are fortunate that the quiet diplomacy method worked.
He was imprisoned during the 2009 Iranian presidential election protests.
During his incarceration, he was forced to make a televised confession, saying he was a spy for western governments: This was dismissed by his family, colleagues and Reporters Without Borders. He was released after 118 days in prison.
He said that in cases like this, the best way to get results is to usually "publicise their plight".
"So, in this case, [quiet diplomacy] obviously worked because they have been released and are out of Iran," he said.
"But in the majority of cases, especially for dual nationals — people who have Iranian passports and other passports — or Iranian citizens, it is better to publicise their plight as soon as possible.
"In the case of these two New Zealanders, it's obvious that quiet diplomacy worked, but in most cases, it does not work."
Drawing from his own experience, he said the first few days of imprisonment can be challenging as those holding you will try to get a false confession.
When imprisoned, Bahari faced daily psychological and physical torture, so he would confess to spying.
"What happens is that in the first few days, they put pressure on the prisoner to confess against themselves.
"And then when they confess against themselves, they use that confession in the court against that prisoner. So it is very important to publicise the arrest and the detainment of the prisoner as soon as possible," he said.
Bahari added that being well-known can help in that sort of situation.
"I mean, there are thousands of prisoners in Iran, and I think we journalists or activists who are kind of celebrity prisoners are relatively treated much better than unknown prisoners," he said.
"I went through a very harsh time in prison in Iran, and I know that compared to many of the young people who are arrested in prisons in Iran, who are being tortured, beaten up on an hourly basis."
Iran has been facing widespread protests after 22-year-old Mahsa Amini died in the custody of the country's morality police.
She was arrested for allegedly wearing her Hijab too loose.
Protests, led by women in support of women, spread across the country and globe and have now evolved from being women's rights demonstrations to large-scale anti-government marches.
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