Academic and author Kylie Moore-Gilbert, who was arrested and jailed in Iran for over 800 days
, is now using her platform to push for other Australians detained abroad — including Zahab.
She too thought he had died in the 2022 airstrike, telling SBS News "at the time I was utterly horrified".
News of his survival and continued incarceration in a Syrian prison "affected her deeply".
"I think the government has a moral duty to help Yusuf, and to help the other — in particular underage children — who are Australian citizens," she said. "These children are not culpable for the alleged crimes of their parents or their older siblings."