Prisoner Exchange Between Iran and Sweden; Hamid Nouri After Release: I Am 'Hamid Abbasi'

Iran and Sweden exchanged several of their imprisoned citizens with the mediation of Oman, resulting in the release of Hamid Nouri, a former deputy prosecutor, in exchange for Johan Flodros and Saeed Azizi. After his release on Saturday, June 16, Nouri emphasized that he is 'Hamid Abbasi,' a pseudonym he used as the deputy prosecutor of Gohardasht prison during the executions of political prisoners in 1988. Earlier, the Iranian Judiciary's International Affairs Deputy announced that Nouri, who had been tried and imprisoned in Sweden, was released and returning to Iran. Kazem Gharibabadi stated on social media that Nouri's detention in Sweden since 2019 was 'illegal' and that he would return to the country shortly. Simultaneously, Oman’s official news agency reported that with the mediation of this country, Iran and Sweden had agreed to a mutual release of detained citizens. The agency announced that the prisoners from both countries were 'transferred today from Tehran and Stockholm to be returned to Muscat.' The Swedish Supreme Court rejected Hamid Nouri's request for a review of his life sentence. Moments after this report, the Swedish Prime Minister announced that two of the country’s imprisoned citizens in Iran were released and would soon return to their families. These two Swedish citizens were identified as Saeed Azizi and Johan Flodros. Reza Shafakhah, Azizi's lawyer, wrote on X (formerly Twitter) that the exchange of Azizi and the other Swedish prisoner for Hamid Nouri was conducted without informing him as the lawyer and also Azizi's family, adding: 'According to Azizi's family, he was apparently released from prison last night and flew towards Sweden.' Hamid Nouri, 62, was arrested by Swedish police on November 9, 2019, upon his arrival at Stockholm airport on a direct flight from Iran, based on complaints from human rights activists and opponents of the Iranian government. The Swedish prosecution against Nouri was based on evidence related to the secret execution of several thousand political prisoners in the summer of 1988 in the prisons of the Islamic Republic. During the summer executions of 1988, Nouri was the deputy prosecutor of Gohardasht prison under the pseudonym 'Hamid Abbasi,' although he and his lawyers made various statements regarding this in court. The Swedish prosecution charged Nouri based on the principle of universal jurisdiction, which examines crimes regardless of where they were committed, and Swedish judicial authorities prosecuted him on this basis. In a case that took 93 sessions in Swedish courts, at least 60 plaintiffs and witnesses and 12 experts in Islamic jurisprudence and international law spoke about Nouri's case. After a lengthy trial, a court in Sweden sentenced him to life imprisonment in July 2022 for 'gross violations of international humanitarian law and murder.' An appeals court also confirmed the life sentence for Nouri on December 19. In March 2023, the Swedish Supreme Court announced that it would not review Nouri's life sentence, which was imposed due to his involvement in the execution of political prisoners in the summer of 1988, thus maintaining his life sentence. Reactions to Hamid Nouri's release: The National Council of Resistance of Iran, a faction of the People's Mojahedin Organization, described Nouri's release as 'shameful and unjustifiable' and stated that this action gives the Islamic Republic 'confidence' that it can return its agents through 'hostage-taking.' Kent Lewis, a lawyer who represented several plaintiffs in Nouri's trial, stated that his former clients were not consulted before Nouri's release and expressed that he was 'horrified and devastated' by his release. He told Reuters, 'This is a blatant insult to the entire judicial system and all those who participated in the trial sessions.' This lawyer also reminded that his clients sympathize with the Swedish government's efforts to bring back its citizens but stated that Nouri's release was 'completely disproportionate.' Ursula von der Leyen, President of the European Commission, also welcomed the release of the two Swedish citizens from 'Iran's unjust detention' and congratulated the Swedish government for its efforts to secure their freedom. The exchange of Hamid Nouri for two Swedish prisoners occurred while Ahmadreza Jalali, an Iranian-Swedish doctor and researcher, remains imprisoned in Iran. He was arrested by intelligence agents in May 2016 when he traveled to Iran to attend a scientific conference. After nine months in prison, including three months in solitary confinement, he was sentenced to death on February 1, 2017, by Judge Abolqasem Salavati in Branch 15 of the Revolutionary Court on alleged charges of 'espionage and selling information to Israel' and 'corruption on earth.' In May of this year, several former 'hostages' of the Islamic Republic expressed concern in a letter to the Swedish Prime Minister regarding the 'continued indifference' of the Swedish government and 'insufficient actions' for the release of Ahmadreza Jalali, the Iranian-Swedish doctor and researcher imprisoned in Evin.