Topics: US-Russia prisoner swap; Tensions in Middle East; Peter Dutton visit to Israel; Olympic boxing controversy;
09:12AM AEST
2 August 2024
Laura Jayes: It’s the largest prisoner swap between Russia and the Western world since the Cold War. Wall Street Journal reporter Evan Gershkovich is now a free man or will be in the next couple of hours officially. He spent 500 days in a Russian prison. Joining me now is the Shadow Foreign Affairs Minister, Simon Birmingham. Simon, thanks so much for your time. This is a great outcome, but it comes at a heavy price. Would you agree?
Simon Birmingham: Well, absolutely LJ and agree on both fronts there. So of course, for Evan Gershkovich, for all of those who are being released from Russian prisons, this is a great outcome. It’s a reminder of the price that we pay in terms of wrongful detention of individuals, journalists like Evan, like, of course, Sky News’s own Cheng Lei and others who have paid a high price, others who find themselves doing good, important work. We’ve seen Australians like Sean Turnell and Kylie Moore-Gilbert face situations in Myanmar and Iran. But this is all too often a common story in these types of autocracies and here in Russia. So, the release is good news, but the fact that it comes with a prisoner swap arrangement is a reminder that a price is being paid. And of course, that price has an enduring effect, given that ultimately you will see countries like Russia potentially seek to engage in wrongful detention again in the future, unless we can find more effective ways to put pressure on them to desist from doing so, and to release individuals when they do so.
Laura Jayes: We look at the war in the Middle East. It looks like that we are at a really critical point here. If the war does become a wider one, we also see Iran and Israel exchanging threats at the moment. Quite extraordinary, the story of this remote controlled bomb.
Simon Birmingham: Well, this is a very serious point in time. Of course, we’ve seen a real challenge ever since October 7th, when Hamas launched those vicious attacks on Israel and killed more Jews on a single day than at any time since the Holocaust. And we are now only a couple of months away from seeing the first anniversary of that attack. Tragically, the resistance from Hamas to releasing hostages to surrendering their terrorist leadership or capabilities has seen enormous bloodshed and loss of life in the conflict. We’ve seen Hezbollah put pressure on, which has led, of course, to other points of conflict and loss of life. And all of this runs the risk of a greater regional conflict, which none of us would wish to see. The best way for that to be avoided is, of course, for Hamas to agree to the last lot of ceasefire terms that were rejected, which would see them release those hostages and would see a ceasefire achieved, and that would be the optimal way to at least take some steps forward that could enable longer-term negotiations.
Laura Jayes: How important was Peter Dutton’s visit to Israel, do you think? Is it unusual for an opposition leader to do that?
Simon Birmingham: Well, it’s not it’s not unusual, Peter went, as I said, leading up to this first anniversary, I think it was important in terms of the messaging of continued support for Israel’s right to self-defence. It was important in terms of the symbolism of standing with our democratic friends and partners in Israel through difficult and trying times. It was important also to be able to deliver, as always, messages of consistency that we have about the need for humanitarian access and supporters as well, but ultimately also to be very clear about the threat posed by Iran through their sponsorship of Hamas, of Hezbollah, of the Houthi rebels and through the pursuit of broader scale disruption across the region and the world that they and other autocracies are engaged in and the threat that poses not just to Israel, but to the global economy and indeed to global peace and security more generally.
Laura Jayes: I know you would have seen this controversy about the boxing at the Olympics. This is a conversation that’s kind of been just below the surface for a number of years in Australia, in America in particular and now it is at front and centre at the Olympics. I mean, sometimes when you get into this territory it can be a little controversial. But this, I think, at the Olympics is an example of where, you know, the reality of this competition for this female boxer in particular and her competitor, that failed a gender test, essentially. There’s a real conundrum here, isn’t there? What do you think should be done?
Simon Birmingham: Well, LJ, I mean, you’re right to frame it in the way that you have, and I am always reticent to see politicians seek to create political mileage or politicise these types of issues, which at the personal level have many different medical, scientific and deeply personal issues often attached to them. But of course, we all wish to see fair sport be that in the junior ranks to see my girls, or kids across the country have the opportunity to compete fairly and for that to flow right through to the Olympics. And it’s why my view is that sporting codes themselves should be strongly backed, to be able to make decisions relevant to their sports, and to make those decisions with absolute freedom as to how they approach the issues. They should draw upon the best scientific advice. They, of course, should be clear about what those rules are for all. Sporting participation is important for everybody, whatever their background. But fairness and safety in sport is also critical. And clearly this will now elevate it to a level where the IOC and world codes are going to have to show stronger leadership in helping to guide what those rules are and how they can most effectively be applied.
Laura Jayes: Simon Birmingham, thanks so much for your time.
Simon Birmingham: Thanks, LJ. My pleasure.
[ENDS]