Making deals with criminal regimes such as Iran, always end badly. As they know you will always make another deal and can always get more out of you.
Iran and Sweden have completed a prisoner exchange mediated by Oman, resulting in the release of a former Iranian official and a European Union diplomat along with another Swedish-Iranian citizen.
The prisoners were transferred between Tehran and Stockholm to Muscat, Oman, before being returned to their respective countries. Kazem Gharibabadi, the Iranian judiciary’s foreign relations chief, reported that Hamid Nouri, previously sentenced in Sweden to a life term for war crimes and murder committed in Iran in 1988, had been released.
Convicted criminal Hamid Noori arrives in Tehran and is called "a soldier of Islam." He was sentenced to life in prison in Sweden in 2023 for taking part in crimes against prisoners in Iran in 1988. Noori was swapped for two Swedish hostages in Iran. The Islamic Republic will… pic.twitter.com/IBBU7LOHpO
— Maziar Bahari (@maziarbahari) June 15, 2024
Swedish Prime Minister Ulf Kristersson confirmed that Johan Floderus, a 33-year-old EU diplomat detained for over two years on espionage charges, and Saeed Azizi, imprisoned on national security charges for five years, were freed by Tehran and are en route back to Sweden.
The diplomatic ties between Iran and Sweden had been strained due to Nouri’s conviction, which involved his role in the deaths of thousands of political prisoners as the deputy prosecutor of Gohardasht Prison near Tehran. The Iranian government contended that Nouri’s trial was influenced by the Mujahedin-e Khalq (MEK), a group Iran labels as a terrorist organization for its actions in the 1980s and its alliance with Saddam Hussein during the Iran-Iraq War.
🔵 Hamid Nouri, a criminal of the 60s, was released; Exchange of prisoners between Iran and Sweden with the mediation of Oman
Kazem Gharibabadi, the secretary of the human rights headquarters of the judicial branch, announced the release of Hamid Nouri in a message on Saturday,… pic.twitter.com/AccS1HEMOQ
— Alex Kennedy (@therealmindman) June 15, 2024
Despite these tensions, a Swedish appeals court upheld Nouri’s life sentence on December 19. Upon his return to Iran, Nouri expressed immense joy and was warmly received by Iranian officials.
In Sweden, the arrival of Floderus and Azizi was anticipated, with various conflicting interests influencing the government’s decision to proceed with the exchange. Family pressure, human rights advocacy, and concerns from the large Iranian diaspora in Sweden who feared persecution were key factors.
A bitter but true joke!
The democratic government of Sweden freed a prisoner convicted of crimes against humanity (#HamidNouri)in a prisoner exchange deal with Iran's Religious Totalitarian Regime,which prides itself on holding citizens of other countries hostage!#ShameOnUSweden pic.twitter.com/Bjg05Dl1GZ— 𓄂✺ 𝕾𝖊𝖈𝖔𝖑𝖆𝖎𝖈☼𓃬 (@Secolaic) June 15, 2024
Meanwhile, Iran continues to detain dual national Ahmadreza Djalali, an academic facing death on spying charges, sparking fears from Amnesty International Sweden that his case is being overlooked in diplomatic negotiations, potentially using him as leverage for future exchanges. The group voiced concerns about when he might be allowed to return home.
Major Points
- Iran and Sweden completed a prisoner swap mediated by Oman, involving the exchange of a former Iranian official for a EU diplomat and a Swedish-Iranian citizen.
- Hamid Nouri, previously sentenced in Sweden for war crimes committed in 1988, was released and returned to Iran.
- Johan Floderus, an EU diplomat detained on espionage charges, and Saeed Azizi, held on national security grounds, were freed by Tehran and returned to Sweden.
- The case strained relations between Iran and Sweden, particularly over allegations that Nouri’s trial was influenced by the MEK, a group Iran considers terrorist.
- Amnesty International Sweden expressed concerns that another detained dual national, Ahmadreza Djalali, was not included in the swap and remains in jeopardy.
TL Holcomb – Reprinted with permission of Whatfinger News
