Australian university lecturer Kylie Moore-Gilbert has thanked her friends and supporters for their efforts to free her, saying they gave her hope and strength to endure “what had seemed like a never-ending, unrelenting nightmare”.
In her first statement since landing in Australia, Dr Moore-Gilbert said, “I honestly do not know where to start or how I can ever thank you for all of your incredible efforts to campaign for my release.”
“I am totally blown away by everything you have done for me, I honestly have no words to express the depth of my gratitude and how touched I am.
“I can’t tell you how heartening it was to hear that my friends and colleagues were speaking up and hadn’t forgotten me, it gave me so much hope and strength to endure what had seemed like a never-ending, unrelenting nightmare.
“My freedom truly is your victory. From the bottom of my heart, thank you.”
The statement was released through a website run by friends and colleagues, who also uploaded a photo of Dr Moore-Gilbert that was taken at Doha airport soon after her release. In the photograph, she smiles and sits with her arms crossed at a table.
The Australian-British academic landed in Canberra on Friday afternoon and is now spending two weeks in quarantine.
Read the article by Laura Chung in The Sydney Morning Herald.