It is not unusual for foreign nationals to be arrested on unclear grounds in Iran.
Prisoner exchange between Sweden and Iran – Floderus and Azizi are released against Noury
Floderus to Kristersson: “I’ve dreamed of this”
Amnesty critical of the prisoner exchange: Sweden had a very strong card
According to experts, it is part of the regime’s political game and it has several times served as a method to bring home citizens convicted abroad.
Johan Floderus was working with aid issues in the EU when he was imprisoned in Iran just over a year and a half ago – after being baselessly accused of espionage and at risk of being sentenced to death, according to Sweden’s government.
60-year-old Saeed Azizi was arrested in November 2023 on what the Swedish government describes as “false grounds” – and sentenced to five years in prison. Azizi has both Swedish and Iranian citizenship.
Who is Hamid Noury?
In the summer of 1988, thousands of political prisoners were executed in Iran on the orders of the then religious leader, Ayatollah Khomeini. The first ever to be brought to trial was Hamid Noury - who was arrested in Sweden in 2019.
During the summer of 2022, Noury was sentenced for serious crimes against humanity and murder – to life imprisonment.
Amnesty’s Maja Åberg then commented on the verdict as follows in SVT:
– This means an incredible amount to the relatives of people who were killed during this prison massacre. This is historic.
How did the exchange go?
During a press conference on Saturday evening, Prime Minister Ulf Kristersson (M) announced that the life sentencer Hamid Noury had been pardoned and handed over to Iran.
The operation is described as a collaboration between the government, the Swedish security police and the intermediary country of Oman.
The two Swedish prisoners were released from Evin prison in Tehran and flown to Arlanda – where they landed at 21.20 on Saturday and were reunited with their relatives.
Criticized decision
The prisoner exchange has received criticism from several quarters. Amnesty criticizes, among other things, that the Swedish-Iranian Ahmadreza Djalali remains imprisoned in Iran.
– Sweden had a very strong card, says Amnesty’s Secretary General Anna Johansson to SVT.