Iran and Sweden Announce Prisoner Exchange: Former Iranian Official and EU Diplomat Released in Swap Deal
On Saturday June 15, Iran and Sweden announced a prisoner exchange that saw a former Iranian official released in Sweden in exchange for a European Union diplomat and a second Swedish national. Hamid Noury, who had been in illegal detention in Sweden since 2019, is now free and set to return to Sweden. Kazem Gharibabadi, the head of Iran's High Council for Human Rights, confirmed the exchange on social media. Shortly after, Swedish Prime Minister Ulf Kristersson announced that Johan Floderus, the EU diplomat, and the second Swedish national had been released by Iran and were on their way home. Floderus, who had been held in Iran since April 2022 on espionage charges, expressed relief upon his release. Oman, acting as a mediator, facilitated the transfer of the released individuals from Tehran and Stockholm to Muscat for their repatriation. Iran's foreign ministry spokesperson Nasser Kanani expressed gratitude to Oman for brokering the swap, which was seen as a diplomatic victory for Iran. Hamid Noury, a former Iranian prisons official and a key figure in the exchange, arrived in Tehran and was welcomed by officials and family members. Noury had been sentenced to life in prison in Sweden over mass killings in Iranian jails in 1988. The exchange of prisoners was met with criticism from the rebel Peoples Mujahedin of Iran (MEK), who branded it as unjustifiable. Swedish Prime Minister Kristersson condemned Iran's use of Floderus and Azizi as pawns in the negotiation game and emphasized the government's commitment to securing the safety of Swedish citizens. While Noury's release marked a turning point, concerns remain for other detainees in Iran, including Ahmad Reza Jalali, who is on death row. The prisoner exchange underscores the delicate diplomatic dynamics between Iran and Western nations and the pivotal role of mediators like Oman in facilitating such agreements.
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