Cold Facts has revealed that a Swedish man is being held in Iran, with the aim of being used for a prisoner exchange against the convicted international human rights criminal Hamid Noury. Now comes strong reactions.
– I hope that Foreign Minister Tobias Billström knows better than to fall into the Islamists’ trap, says Alireza Akhondi, Member of Parliament for the Center Party.
In April last year, a Swedish man in his 30s was detained while on a private trip in Iran. He works as a high-ranking official at an international organization, and has no background from Iran.
Yesterday, Kalla Fakta was able to reveal that Iran’s purpose in the arrest was to get a prisoner exchange with Hamid Noury, who was sentenced to life imprisonment in Sweden for crimes he committed in Iran in 1988.
Sources: Talks have been held with Iran
According to Kalla Fakta’s sources, both the previous and the current government have worked on the issue, and held talks with Iran.
The hundreds of thousands of Iranians who have fled the country see the trial against Hamid Noury as an important symbolic issue.
It is the first time that someone has been held accountable for the murders and assaults that took place in the Iran. If the Swedish government would release him from prison and allow him to return to his homeland, he would be celebrated as a hero. That, in turn, would arouse strong reactions.
– I think we would see massive demonstrations here in Sweden. The commitment among the 120,000 Swedes with Iranian heritage has been great for the freedom struggle in Iran, says Alireza Akhondi, Member of Parliament for the Center Party.
– I am convinced that this is not in the Swedish government’s interest, she continues.
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs does not comment
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs has chosen not to comment on the matter with the imprisoned Swede in Iran. But according to Kalla Fakta’s sources, the government has closely followed a similar situation in Belgium, which had a citizen imprisoned in Iran.
As recently as Friday, Belgium carried out a controversial prisoner exchange, in which they released a convicted Iranian to bring home the Belgian citizen.
– I hope that Foreign Minister Tobias Billström knows better than to fall into the Islamists’ trap, as Belgium did, says Alireza Akhondi.