New Zealand couple missing in Iran for four months…
Confidential but fruitful discussions. Wellington announced on Wednesday that two New Zealand travel bloggers, who went missing for four months after arriving in Iran, have left the country safely after secret exchanges between the two governments.
Bridget Thakoray and her husband, Topher Richwaite, the son of one of the richest men in the archipelago, arrived in Iran from Turkey in early July. Very quickly, the newlyweds became silent On the social networks they used to feed photos of their travels. For months, 30,000 or so fans, increasingly concerned about them, sent messages that went unheeded. At the same time, the New Zealand government preferred to remain silent about them.
“Hostage Diplomacy”
State Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern announced Wednesday that the government is “working hard” during this period to “ensure (the safe departure) of the couple who have gone through a ‘difficult time'”. The conditions of their stay in the Islamic Republic remain unclear. Iranian authorities told AFP that no The couple are either arrested or detained and the New Zealand government is careful not to hint at any families.
Westerners are often arrested by the Iranian government. Several testimonies were issued in exchange for government concessions on ongoing sensitive issues, with Tehran accused of engaging in “hostage diplomacy”.
stop at the border
Most countries advise their nationals not to travel to Iran. Christopher Richwaite, in his 30s and the son of one of New Zealand’s richest bankers, traveled there with his friends before the couple began their world tour.
His wife Bridget, who is in her twenties, set up a fashion website in 2017, a year before he started traveling. They have traveled the planet in a 4×4 jeep.
In a video posted in July, which was later removed from social media, Toffer Richwaite explained that they were stopped at the Iranian border, where their car was checked. He said he was instructed on how to dress and behave.
‘They never stay in the same place’
One of their fans, Chris Luce, a retired teacher living in Canada, said the couple’s GPS tracker stayed at the same location for several days. “They don’t stay in one place, in the middle of an unknown place, for long,” Loos told AFP. “Since they share photos and videos so often, it was clear to me that something was wrong.”
Jacinda Ardern did not explain the nature of the negotiations but insisted she was not shy about criticism Iran’s bloody suppression of protests Which, over a period of more than a month, has killed at least 141 people, including children, according to a report by the Iranian Human Rights Organization (IHR), an Oslo-based NGO.
Echoes of this disappearance Iran detained, for several months in 2019, British-Australian bloggers, Especially suspected of espionage. On the day of their release, Tehran announced the return to the country of an Iranian student held in Australia for more than a year.
Nine foreigners arrested
The latter, Reza Dehbashi, a PhD student at the University of Queensland near Brisbane, was arrested in Australia for “attempting to purchase advanced US military equipment from Dubai and transfer it to Iran,” in violation of sanctions. Americans. The New Zealand government has maintained diplomatic relations with Iran and has had an embassy in Tehran since 1975. Iran has repeatedly accused outside powers of fueling the protests.
Tehran announced at the end of September The arrest of nine foreign nationals, especially from FranceGermany, Italy, Poland and the Netherlands.
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