In a significant diplomatic development, Sweden and Iran have executed a prisoner exchange, with Sweden releasing Hamid Noury, an Iranian convicted of war crimes, and Iran freeing two Swedish nationals, Johan Floderus and Saeed Azizi. The swap, mediated by Oman, has eased tensions between the two nations, which had been strained over Noury’s case. Noury, a 63-year-old former Iranian official, was sentenced to life imprisonment in Sweden for his involvement in the 1988 mass executions of political prisoners in Iran. Floderus, a 33-year-old European Union diplomat, was arrested in Iran in 2022 on espionage charges and faced the death penalty. Azizi was detained on national security charges in November 2023.Swedish Prime Minister Ulf Kristersson condemned Iran’s tactics, stating that the Swedish citizens were used as pawns in a cynical negotiation game to secure Noury’s release. Meanwhile, the National Council of Resistance of Iran and a lawyer representing the victims’ families have criticized Sweden’s decision to release Noury, calling it an affront to the justice system. The EU’s foreign policy chief, Josep Borrell, welcomed the news of the exchange and thanked the Swedish and Omani authorities for their efforts. The release of Floderus and Azizi is a relief for their families and the Swedish government, which had been working intensively with security services to secure their release.
Key points
- Sweden released Hamid Noury, an Iranian convicted of war crimes, while Iran freed Swedish nationals Johan Floderus and Saeed Azizi.
- The prisoner exchange was mediated by Oman and marks an improvement in Sweden-Iran relations.
- Swedish Prime Minister Ulf Kristersson criticized Iran for using the Swedish detainees as negotiation pawns.
Contradictions👾There is a discrepancy in the reported names of the Swedish Prime Minister; some sources mention Ulf Kristersson, while others refer to him as Olaf Kristersson.
👾The name of one of the Swedish nationals is inconsistently reported as Johan Floderus and Johan Frödén.
