Political and Human Rights Figures React to the Release of Hamid Nouri; Strengthening the Policy of 'Hostage-Taking' and 'Betrayal of the Iranian People'

The return of Hamid Nouri, former deputy prosecutor of Gohardasht Prison in Karaj, to Iran after his exchange for two imprisoned Swedes on Saturday, June 16, has been met with widespread criticism. Several members of the European Parliament have viewed this exchange as a reinforcement of the Islamic Republic's 'hostage-taking' policy. Darya Safai, an Iranian-born member of the Belgian Parliament, wrote on X: 'Past deals and prisoner exchanges only empower the Iranian regime to continue its extortion diplomacy and further crimes. How cowardly are European governments? Even when making such a deal, they cannot ask the Iranian regime to free the innocent Professor Jalali?' Ahmadreza Jalali is an Iranian-Swedish prisoner sentenced to death by the Iranian government. Charlie Weimers, a Swedish member of the European Parliament, wrote on X: 'The joy of the release of these two individuals, who were completely unjustly imprisoned, is overshadowed by the fact that a killer like Hamid Nouri will not pay for his crimes, and the Islamic Republic is encouraged to strengthen its hostage diplomacy through this.' He added that Sweden and the European Union must end all diplomatic relations with the Islamic Republic and emphasized that it should be made clear to all European citizens intending to travel to Iran that they do so at their own risk. Theo Francken, a member of the Belgian Parliament, also called the EU governments' appeasement of the Islamic Republic a betrayal of the Iranian people, stating that this action further encourages 'terrorism.' On the other hand, the reactions of two senior European officials to the prisoner exchange between Sweden and the Islamic Republic have drawn much criticism. Josep Borrell, the EU's foreign policy chief, stated: 'We are happy about the news of the release of Johan Flodros, a fellow EU citizen and his compatriot Saeed Azizi, and we thank the Swedish and Omani authorities. Other EU citizens are still arbitrarily detained in Iran. We will continue our work with the participation of EU members for their release.' Ursula von der Leyen, President of the European Commission, said: 'We are pleased that our Swedish colleague, Johan Flodros, and his compatriot Saeed Azizi have been released from the unjust detention of the Islamic Republic of Iran. I wish them a good reunion with their loved ones and congratulate Sweden for its ongoing efforts to achieve this result.' Critics have asked these two officials what their response is regarding the release of someone who played a role in the massacre of thousands of political prisoners in Iran. Several political and civil activists have also criticized Western democracies for their conditions in dealing with the Islamic Republic. Jason Brodsky, head of the Policy Council of the 'Alliance Against a Nuclear Iran,' called today 'a sad day for the rule of law in Western democracies,' stating: 'Always, after every deal for the release of Western hostages in Iran, there is widespread and justifiable concern about the conditions of the exchange, including the release of frozen assets or the freedom of criminals and terrorists. However, the United States and its European allies never pursue a comprehensive strategy to combat hostage-taking.' Mark Dubowitz, head of the Foundation for Defense of Democracies, wrote on X: 'The West's impotence is further highlighted by the release of a killer responsible for the deaths of hundreds of innocent Iranians. Khamenei is laughing at all of you appeasers. This action only emboldens him to commit more crimes.' One Iranian-born activist who has strongly criticized the release of Hamid Nouri is Nazanin Afshin-Jam, a former Miss Canada and human rights activist. Ms. Afshin-Jam addressed various officials and expressed her frustration with such an exchange, writing: 'The Prime Minister of Sweden who exchanged his citizens with someone who committed a massacre; the President of the United States who has paid billions to a regime that has been chanting 'Death to America' for 45 years; Josep Borrell, the EU's foreign policy chief who, despite the European Council's vote, refused to list the IRGC as a terrorist organization; and the UN Secretary-General who held a memorial for the 'Butcher of Tehran' who killed thousands of Iranians.' Ms. Afshin-Jam wrote to them: 'You have paved the way for more terrorism by your negligence and cowardice.' Nazanin Boniadi, a human rights activist, also stated on X that the Islamic Republic will increasingly take innocents and dual nationals hostage, suppress people inside, and instill fear in Iranians abroad. The Supreme Court of Stockholm on March 7 of last year reaffirmed its previous ruling rejecting Hamid Nouri's appeal against his life sentence. The life sentence, which is the highest penalty under Swedish law, was finalized on December 19 of last year after an appeals court in Stockholm for Hamid Nouri, accused of involvement in the mass executions of political prisoners in the 1980s. Following Hamid Nouri's arrest in Sweden and his trial for his role in the mass executions and torture of political prisoners in the 1980s, relations between Tehran and Stockholm soured. Several human rights activists say that the Islamic Republic uses false accusations to detain foreign citizens, especially dual nationals, to use them as political bargaining chips and effectively takes these citizens hostage. I do not blame the Swedish government; the opposition should have been more united; Ladan Bazargan's reaction to the release of Hamid Nouri. Iraj Mesdaghi: The case of Hamid Nouri proved that there is no 'congruence and cooperation' between justice and politics. The return of Hamid Nouri to Iran in exchange for two Swedish hostages; the continuation of the Islamic Republic's 'hostage diplomacy.' Hamid Nouri, sentenced to life imprisonment, was released and returned from Sweden to Iran. Widespread criticism of the release of Hamid Nouri: It is shameful and encourages the Islamic Republic to continue hostage-taking. Hamid Nouri returned to Iran; two Swedish nationals imprisoned by the Islamic Republic were released. The Judicial Commission of the National Council of Resistance warned about the 'facilitation' of the Swedish government for the release of Hamid Nouri. Hundreds of activists protested the holding of a memorial for Raisi at the UN: Would you have held a memorial for Hitler if he had been killed? The five-year sentence of Saeed Azizi, a dual Iranian-Swedish citizen, was upheld by the appeals court.