Iran and Sweden have successfully completed a prisoner swap brokered by Oman, as confirmed by the state-run Oman News Agency on Saturday. The exchange involved the release of key personalities including, Hamid Nouri, a former Iranian official sentenced to life in Sweden for war crimes dating back to 1988, Swedish national Johan Floderus, a European Union diplomat detained in Iran for over two years on charges of spying for Israel, and Iranian-Swedish citizen Saeed Azizi, imprisoned in Iran on national security charges.
Kazem Gharibabadi, Iran’s judiciary foreign relations chief, announced Nouri’s release from Swedish custody, while Swedish Prime Minister Ulf Kristersson confirmed the return of Floderus and Azizi to Sweden. The case surrounding Nouri, linked to the deaths of thousands of political prisoners in Iran, had strained relations between Iran and Sweden. Iran alleged Nouri’s trial was influenced by the Mojahedin-e Khalq, a group designated as a terrorist organization by Iran for actions in the 1980s.
This exchange marks a significant diplomatic development amidst ongoing tensions, with Iran also holding dual national Ahmadreza Djalali, sentenced to death on espionage charges. However, as per Amnesty International, Iranian authorities used torture to force Djalali into making that confession.
