British-Australian academic Kylie Moore-Gilbert says the Iranian government has infiltrated Australia and has been monitoring her movements as well as the activities of Australians who speak out against its human rights abuses.
Two years ago, Dr Moore-Gilbert was released from Iran's notorious Evin prison after spending more than 800 days there.
Dr Moore-Gilbert said the response from Australian authorities to stop Iranian regime operatives from infiltrating the country, both physically and via cyberspace, has been inadequate.
She told the parliamentary inquiry into the human rights implications of recent violence in Iran, that the Islamic Republic of Iran is well known to operate intelligence-gathering and influence networks within Australia.
Dr Moore-Gilbert said Iranian-Australians attending protests in Australia have reported that their families have been threatened back in Iran due to their political activities, but have also been targeted by regime operatives in Australia.
"I myself have been targeted after my return to Australia by the Iranian regime," she told the hearing.
"I've had people attend events that I've spoken at, stand at the back of the room and record proceedings and ask intimidating and suspicious questions of some of the Iranian audience members at my events.
"I've also been hacked on at least two occasions by the Iranian regime, and I suspect by the Revolutionary Guard Corps."
As a result of that hack, she said last year some of her financial information was posted in Farsi language, on Iranian government-affiliated news outlets.
"I called the cybersecurity hotline in great distress asking, 'what on earth can I do about this? They're in my computers, what do I do?'
"I was told I just need to install antivirus software; that nobody can help me," she said.
Dr Moore-Gilbert said she only received assistance after reaching out to private individuals with links to the "Australia security establishment who were able to assist me eventually to get these guys out of my devices".
"I have been threatened, I have been hacked, received no assistance whatsoever," she said.
"There are countless Iranian Australians ... who have actually been through worse and have been hacked multiple times as well as being followed in the streets and threatened and intimidated.
"And I am yet to see any meaningful, robust response by the Australian authorities on this matter."
Stop negotiating with the 'child killer regime'
Dr Moore-Gilbert made a submission to the inquiry calling for Magnitsky-style sanctions against Iranian government officials.
Such laws provide for governmental sanctions against foreign individuals who have committed human rights abuses and/or been involved in significant corruption.
The hearing has heard from numerous human rights groups and activists, including Human Rights Watch and Amnesty International, who have called for Iranian officials to be sanctioned and brought to justice for their role in torturing and killing people speaking out against the regime's human rights abuses.
The submissions also note more than 400 killed and at least 15,000 arrested in the latest wave of protests in Iran, sparked by the news of Mahsa Amini, who died in police custody in September after being arrested by so-called "morality" police for not wearing her hijab correctly.
Numerous submissions call for Australia's government to stop trading with Iran, list the Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps as a terrorist organisation and remove Iran from the UN Commission on the Status of Women.
Some also want Australia to close its embassy down in Iran and pull its ambassador out, but Dr Moore-Gilbert cautioned against that, saying when she was taken hostage it was consular support that was crucial to her survival.
Also speaking at the hearing on Monday was Saba Vasefi, a journalist and scholar who teaches at the University of Sydney.
She says the Islamic Republic is a terrorist regime, not a legitimate state and Australia's government should stop trying to negotiate with them.
"They [Iran's Islamic Republic] are not reformable," she said, noting the regime had been suppressing and killing Iranian people since it came to power 43 years ago.
Dr Vasefi said some Australian leaders were concerned that if they deported Iranian officials from Australia, they would be closing the trade and diplomatic relationship.
"But this is my question: why Australia is looking for negotiation or (any kind of) relationship with a rapist regime, child killer regime?
"If one of those over 60 children, if one of them was a white child, how would Australia respond? (Are) they are not white enough to be worthy enough to be considered as a human?
"It is concerning … the indifference that I am seeing in Australia."
She said Iran's leaders may claim that it is a legitimate state, but the people want regime change.
She urged the Australian government to be cautious about Iranian government lobbyists trying to justify their atrocities against ordinary people.
"Let them they claim whatever they want, they are claiming so many things … Let them say whatever they want, you [Australia's government should] stand for humanity. You stand with us. And recognise this revolution."
