Iran demands that Sweden stop Koran burnings – and that the life-sentenced Hamid Noury be released, AFP reports.
– We expect that the Swedish government will make a wise and courageous decision, says Iran’s foreign minister, Hossein Amir-Abdollahian.
Iran’s foreign minister Hossein Amir-Abdollahian is said to have presented the demands to his Swedish counterpart, Tobias Billström during the UN General Assembly meeting this week. This is stated by the country’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
One of the demands is that Sweden release the Iranian Hamid Noury, who in 2020 was sentenced in the district court to life imprisonment for participation in mass executions in Iran in 1988. The sentence was appealed by both the defense and the prosecutor.
– We expect that the Swedish government will make a wise and courageous decision in the appeal phase of the case and release Hamid Noury, states the country’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs according to TT.
In addition, Iran wants Sweden to act to stop the Koran burnings.
The Iranian demands come as a condition for the countries to resume their exchange of ambassadors, according to a statement.
Earlier this year, Iran announced that the country did not plan to send a new ambassador to Sweden and that Sweden’s ambassador would not be allowed into the country.
“Regarding the exchange of ambassadors, we are waiting for measures on the issue of the Holy Koran in Sweden”, according to a statement that TT has seen.
“We expect that the Swedish government will make a wise and courageous decision in the appeal process and release Mr. Noury,” the minister is said to have said, TT reports.