DUBAI, United Arab Emirates – A prisoner swap between Iran and Sweden on Saturday resulted in the release of a European Union diplomat and another individual, in exchange for an Iranian man convicted of war crimes in Stockholm regarding his involvement in the 1988 mass executions in Iran. The arrest of Hamid Nouri by Sweden in 2019 triggered the detentions of two Swedes, a tactic frequently used by Iran to leverage individuals with foreign ties in negotiations with the West since the country’s Islamic Revolution in 1979.
Iran’s state television claimed Nouri had been unlawfully detained, while Swedish Prime Minister Ulf Kristersson described the conditions faced by diplomat Johan Floderus and another Swedish citizen, Saeed Azizi, as a “hell on earth.” Kristersson acknowledged the tough decisions made by the government regarding the prisoner swap, noting that Iran was using the Swedes as bargaining chips to secure Nouri’s release from Sweden.
The release of Nouri was mediated by Oman, a sultanate in the Arabian Peninsula known for its role in facilitating discussions between Iran and Western nations. This swap took place during Eid al-Adha, a significant holiday in the Muslim world that traditionally involves the release of prisoners.
In 2022, Nouri was sentenced to life imprisonment by the Stockholm District Court for his role as an assistant to the deputy prosecutor at a prison near Karaj in Iran. The 1988 mass executions followed the end of Iran’s war with Iraq, characterized by attacks orchestrated by the Mujahedeen-e-Khalq group armed by Saddam Hussein. These events led to thousands of executions with involvement from high-ranking officials, including late Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi, who was previously linked to the mass executions.
Floderus was detained in Tehran in April 2022 upon returning from a vacation, while Azizi was sentenced to five years in prison on charges of undermining national security. The European Union expressed gratitude for the release of the two men, highlighting ongoing efforts to secure the freedom of other EU citizens arbitrarily detained in Iran.
Despite Iran’s denial of using prisoners for negotiations, numerous instances of swaps with different countries contradict this perspective. The recent exchange did not include the release of Ahmadreza Djalali, a Swedish-Iranian national facing potential execution following what Amnesty International described as an unfair trial. Djalali’s family was reportedly unaware of the swap agreement that left him behind, sparking concerns about his prolonged detention.