Sweden and Iran have made a prisoner exchange, says Swedish Prime Minister Ulf Kristersson during a press conference on Saturday. Swedish Johan Floderus and Iranian Saeed Azizi are exchanged for Iranian Hamid Noury, who has been sentenced to life in Sweden for war crimes in Iran. The agreement was a dilemma During a press conference on Saturday, Ulf Kristersson says that the prisoner exchange was a difficult decision for the government. They have had to decide whether they should negotiate with Iran to save innocent imprisoned Swedes from a possible death sentence in an Iranian prison, against releasing an Iranian who has been sentenced to life in Sweden. – It has been a dilemma, but it is an obvious decision, says Kristersson. The Swedish Prime Minister says both Floderus and Azizi have been imprisoned as pawns in a game to get Hamid Noury back to Iran. Kristersson will not say more about Noury yet, other than that the government will return to why they chose to release him. Hell on earth Kristersson was able to say during the press conference that Floderus and Azizi are now safely on a plane on their way home to Sweden. The Prime Minister asks for peace for the two men when they get home. In December 2023, the trial against Floderus started in Iran. Photo: Koosha Mahshid Falahi / Mizan News Agency/AFP – They have experienced hell on earth. Now I ask everyone, both the media and citizens, to respect their need for peace. Let them decide if and when they want to tell their stories, says Kristersson. Imprisoned for 271 days EU official and diplomat Johan Floderus (33) was arrested in Iran two years ago, and has been held prisoner there until now. He was arrested while on holiday with friends. Johan had to go on hunger strike in prison several times, to force the Iranian authorities to let him talk to his family. Photo: Privat Floderus was blamed for espionage and for having links to the Israeli security service Mossad. This was rejected by the Swedish authorities and the EU. Saaed Azizi (61) was arrested in Iran last year. According to the Swedish government, he was arrested on false grounds. SVT writes that it is uncertain what he has been sentenced for. Sentenced to life imprisonment The Iranian civil servant Hamid Noury was sentenced to life imprisonment in the Stockholm district court in 2022 for war crimes. He was found guilty of torturing and killing political prisoners in Iran’s Gohardasht prison. During the trial, Swedish investigators presented the names of 110 murder victims who they thought could be linked to Noury. The murder is said to have taken place between 30 July and 16 August 1988. Noury, on his part, claims that the Swedish police have caught the wrong man. In court, he claimed that he worked for another prison. Now the promiscuous bureaucrat is allowed to travel home to Iran. Program manager Eline Buvarp Aardal. Published 15.06.2024, at 15.24 Updated 15.06.2024, at 15.26
ttn-69
Prisoner exchange between Sweden and Iran – news Norway – Overview of news from different parts of the country
