Iranian Prisoner Release: EU Diplomat from Sweden Freed from Iran Custody
Diplomat Floderus, a EU official, was detained in April 2022 and faced potential capital punishment for spying allegations. The second Swedish citizen, Saeed Azizi, was held in Iranian custody since November 2023. Both returned to Stockholm airport on a Saturday evening around 7:20 PM and were reported to be in acceptable condition given the circumstances. Prime Minister Kristersson affirmed their well-being, while Floderus' father, Matts, expressed delight to the Swedish News Agency TT.
European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen and EU Foreign Policy Chief Josep Borrell showed relief following Floderus' release.
The Swedish authorities released Hamid Nuri, an Iranian previously sentenced to life in prison in Sweden, as part of the prisoner swap. Nuri arrived in Tehran on a Saturday afternoon (local time) and was greeted by family and officials, as per an Iranian state television report.
In 2019, Nuri was apprehended at the Stockholm airport after complaints were lodged against him by Iranian dissidents in Sweden. He was later sentenced to life imprisonment for "grave violations of international law" and "murder" in 2022. Nuri consistently denied the charges, referring to them as "false."
The Swedish court established that Nuri was an assistant to the deputy prosecutor at a prison near Teheran at the time of the offense. He accepted prisoners under a stolen alias and in the role of the deputy prosecutor's assistant.
During the final stage of the Iran-Iraq War (1980-1988), thousands of Iranians were murdered nationwide. Apart from the executions of approximately 5000 prisoners, which were commanded by Revolution Leader Ayatollah Khomeini and primarily targeted members of the banned opposition movement, the People's Mujahedin, Nuri's release by Sweden in this prisoner swap received criticism from Iranian opposition groups living in exile. The People's Mujahedin claimed that Sweden's decision to release Nuri would embolden the Iranian regime to spread terror, hostage-taking, and blackmail.
Prime Minister Kristersson acknowledged the criticism, admitting that this prisoner swap may elicit various emotions, especially among Swedish citizens of Iranian descent. He asserted that his government found the decision to be a difficult one to make.
Kristersson declared that the Iranians manipulated Floderus and Azizi as "chess pieces in a cold, manipulative bargaining game" to secure Nuri's freedom. As a government leader, Kristersson recognized a "special duty" to protect Swedish citizens.
Reports from Oman suggested that mediation by the Sultanate facilitated the prisoner exchange agreement between the two countries. They then agreed on the release of citizens from each other's countries, as indicated by the state-owned Omani news agency.
Eight inhabitants of European nations continue to be incarcerated in Iranian prisons. One of them is the German-Iranian Jamshid Sharmahd, who has been detained since summer 2020 due to terror charges and was sentenced to death in February 2023.
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- The Swedish government, led by Prime Minister Ulf Kristersson, played a crucial role in the prisoner exchange, releasing Hamid Nuri, an Iranian serving a life sentence in Sweden.
- The EU diplomat, Floderus, and the Swedish citizen Saeed Azizi's return to Stockholm was celebrated by European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen and EU Foreign Policy Chief Josep Borrell.
- Swedes living in exile, such as Iranian opposition groups, criticized Sweden for releasing Nuri, a former Iranian prison official, as part of the prisoner exchange.
- Stockholm's release of Nuri sparked controversy within Sweden itself, especially among Swedish citizens of Iranian descent, who viewed the decision as difficult but necessary.
- Nuri, who worked as an assistant to the deputy prosecutor at a prison near Teheran during the Iran-Iraq War, was accused of grave violations of international law and murder by the Swedish court.
- In Tehran, Iranian opposition groups rejected the prisoner exchange, viewing it as a move that could embolden the Iranian regime to engage in more acts of terrorism, hostage-taking, and blackmail.
- The Swedish police, as part of the EU, continue to monitor the situation closely, keeping tabs on potential developments in the detention and release of EU citizens in Iranian prisons.
