In April last year, a Swedish man in his 30s was arrested in Iran.
Cold Facts can now reveal that the arrested Swede is a high-ranking official in an international organization – and that Iran is working to bring about a prisoner exchange.
Daniel, whose real name is something else, has no Iranian background himself. His parents don’t want us to tell who he is for security reasons. Just over a year ago, Daniel traveled to Iran to visit a friend who works in the country. When he was about to fly home, he was arrested by Iranian authorities and it took almost two months before Sweden’s ambassador was allowed to visit Daniel in prison.
“A brick in the game”
After another two months, Iran’s ambassador to Sweden, Ahmad Masoumifar, tells Sweden’s Radio that they are open to discussing a prisoner exchange with Sweden, but they do not name names. According to information to Kalla fakta, it is Daniel that Iran wants to use in a prisoner exchange for Hamid Noury.
Daniel is accused of espionage, but several Iran experts we spoke to believe he was arrested solely to get Hamid Noury free through a prisoner exchange.
– Unfortunately, they have done so many times to use the person as a pawn in the political game, says Said Mahmoudi, professor emeritus of International Law at Stockholm University.
So it is likely that he was only arrested as a pawn in the game to bring back Hamid Noury?
– It is likely, concludes Said Mahmoudi.
Just before Daniel was arrested in Iran, a Belgian aid worker was arrested and sentenced to 40 years in prison and 74 lashes. Last week, Belgium released an Iranian man sentenced to 20 years in prison, and Belgian Olivier Vandecasteele was allowed to return home. But Sweden’s government is putting the lid on a possible prisoner exchange.
– I have nothing to say in this matter right now, because it is a difficult and complicated case, and I don’t think it makes the situation any easier, says Foreign Minister Tobias Billström (M).