The Islamic Republic Calls for the Extradition of Hamid Nouri from Sweden in New York

The Foreign Minister of the Islamic Republic, in a meeting with his Swedish counterpart on the sidelines of the United Nations General Assembly, once again called for the extradition of Hamid Nouri, involved in the executions of the 1980s in Iran. According to the state news agency ISNA, Hossein Amir-Abdollahian asked Tobias Billström, the Swedish Foreign Minister, to have his government decide on the 'release' of this convicted participant in the executions of political opponents of the Islamic Republic during the 'review phase.' Based on this report, the Foreign Minister of the Islamic Republic also mentioned the 'exchange of ambassadors' with this country, stating: 'We are waiting for a good action regarding the Holy Quran in Sweden.' Hamid Nouri (Abbas) was sentenced to 'life imprisonment' and ordered to pay compensation to the families of the executed after 93 sessions of hearings in the Stockholm District Court on July 13, 2022, for complicity in the massacre of prisoners in 1988. At that time, after the life sentence was announced for Hamid Nouri, Michelle Bachelet, the then UN High Commissioner for Human Rights, expressed satisfaction with the ruling, stating: 'Countries should use universal jurisdiction to fill the accountability gap for serious crimes and ensure truth and justice.' Voice of America has extensively covered all court sessions, the announcement of the verdict, and the related controversies surrounding Hamid Nouri's case through multiple visual and written reports. Since the beginning of Hamid Nouri's detention and subsequent trial, the Islamic Republic has consistently demanded his extradition, and in this context, some Swedish citizens have also been detained in Iran, intensifying speculation about a potential 'hostage-taking' by Tehran for an 'exchange.' Last year, two weeks after the announcement of Hamid Nouri's verdict, the Ministry of Intelligence of the Islamic Republic reported the arrest of 'a Swedish national' while leaving the country on charges of 'espionage' and 'some suspicious behaviors and communications' during 'multiple previous trips to Iran.' On September 12 of this year, Masoud Setayesh, the spokesperson for the Islamic Republic's judiciary, confirmed the arrest of 'a Swedish national' without mentioning his name, claiming that he had committed 'crimes' in 'the territory of the Islamic Republic of Iran.' The Swedish government confirmed in mid-September, following a report by the New York Times, that Johan Flodros, a citizen of this country who worked for the European Union's foreign affairs department, had been arrested in Iran last year. He had been under the detention of Iranian government agencies for over 500 days until the news was announced. Some experts, considering the Islamic Republic's history, suggest that Tehran intends to 'exchange' Hamid Nouri with one or more Western citizens who have been taken hostage. Meanwhile, some, like Iraj Mesdaghi, a former political prisoner in Iran and human rights activist, believe that Hamid Nouri's crime was 'committing a war crime,' and the likelihood of his exchange is 'low.' Iraj Mesdaghi: The closure of Rajai Shahr prison to eliminate evidence of the crime occurred after the trial of 'Hamid Nouri.' The judiciary of the Islamic Republic confirmed the arrest of a Swedish citizen in Iran. The family of the imprisoned Swedish diplomat in Iran demanded his immediate release. The judiciary of the Islamic Republic claimed that the Swedes were spying on Hamid Nouri. Exclusive: The European Union stated that it is 'closely' monitoring the situation of the 'Swedish citizen' detained in Iran.