A pair of travel bloggers arrested and detained in a notorious Iranian prison have been identified as Perth couple Jolie King and Mark Firkin, according to reports.
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The duo were arrested by Iran authorities some ten weeks ago, reportedly for flying a drone without a license. They have been held by Iranian authorities in the notorious Evin jail in Tehran ever since, with limited contact to friends and loved ones.
This morning, the families of the couple issued a brief statement confirming their imprisonment via the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade, asserting that “our families hope to see Mark and Jolie safely home as soon as possible,” and that they have “no further comment to make at this stage.”
The pair maintain a YouTube and Instagram presence under their collective title The Way Overland, which sports some 19,000 Instagram followers and 21,000 YouTube subscribers.
They have routinely documented their travels through Asia and the Middle East, however their last upload occurred 11 weeks ago, showing the duo driving through Pakistan. The sudden social media silence prompted initial concern from fans and friends.
The pair has been using the social media channels to document their planned two-year travels after quitting their jobs in Perth in 2017. Together, they had planned to drive across 36 countries.
DFAT officials are providing assistance to the couple and their families, but have not issued any further comment on the matter at this time.
