Iran's Judiciary Confirms Arrest of Swedish Citizen

The Judiciary of the Islamic Republic of Iran has confirmed the arrest of a Swedish national, without mentioning his name, claiming that he has committed 'crimes in the territory of the Islamic Republic of Iran.' According to reports from Iranian news agencies, Massoud Setayeshi, the spokesperson for the Judiciary, stated in a press conference on Tuesday, September 12, that this Swedish citizen is currently in prison and that his case will be sent to court 'with the final decision of the prosecutor's office.' He did not disclose the name of the arrested Swedish citizen but added: 'This Swedish national has committed crimes in the territory of the Islamic Republic of Iran, which have been preliminarily investigated, and he has been sent to prison based on legal grounds.' The spokesperson also discussed two French citizens imprisoned in Iran, stating that they were arrested on April 29 and that their case has been sent to court following the issuance of an indictment. Their lawyers have reviewed the case twice, and 'we will provide information after the proceedings.' Sweden announced last week that Johan Flodros, a Swedish citizen who worked for the European Union's foreign affairs office, was arrested in Iran last year. He has been detained in Iran for over 500 days and turned 33 on Sunday, marking his second birthday in prison in Iran. Ilva Johansson, the EU Commissioner for Home Affairs, expressed her deep concern, stating that Flodros had been with the EU for about two years but had requested to work for the EU delegation in Afghanistan before his arrest in Iran. She added, 'Of course, my feelings, my concerns, are nothing compared to the situation Johan is in or the worries that his closest family members live with every day.' Following the news of Flodros's arrest, speculation has intensified regarding the possibility of the Iranian government using this Swedish detainee to exert pressure on Sweden or to exchange him for Hamid Noury. Human rights advocates claim that the Iranian government uses the detention of foreign and dual nationals for 'extortion' from Western countries, a claim that Iranian officials deny. Meanwhile, Kazem Gharibabadi, the secretary of the Iranian 'Human Rights' headquarters, recently referred in an interview with the 'Al-Alam' network to the case of Hamid Noury, who was tried in Sweden for his involvement in executions in the 1980s and sentenced to a long prison term, threatening the Swedish judiciary by saying, 'We hope that the Swedish judiciary will ultimately take a correct position and decision, and in this regard, we are not idle and will utilize our capacities for appropriate actions.' Additionally, Reuters reported on Monday that it had seen a document indicating that U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken issued a sanctions waiver as part of a prisoner exchange agreement between the United States and the Islamic Republic for the transfer of blocked Iranian funds from South Korea to Qatar. However, a U.S. State Department spokesperson stated that this is not a 'sanctions waiver' but merely a technical approval for a previously announced fund transfer. The family of the imprisoned Swedish diplomat in Iran has called for his immediate release. There is a long list of dual nationals imprisoned; Amir-Abdollahian claims they are not considered threats. Hanna Neumann has called for clarity from the EU regarding the 'concealment' of the arrest of the Swedish citizen. The Judiciary has held a new 'court' against Jamshid Sharmad, this time in the name of 'seeking justice' for families. Reuters: Blinken has issued a sanctions waiver for the transfer of blocked Iranian funds from South Korea.