Widespread Criticism of the Release of Hamid Nouri: It is Shameful and Encourages the Islamic Republic to Continue Hostage-Taking

Hamid Nouri, former deputy warden of Gohardasht Prison in Karaj, returned to Iran on Saturday, June 16, after being exchanged for two imprisoned Swedes. The news of this exchange has sparked widespread criticism from human rights organizations, as well as a number of journalists and human rights activists. They described the Swedish government's decision to release Hamid Nouri as 'shameful,' arguing that it encourages the Islamic Republic's policy of taking foreign nationals hostage. Alireza Akhundi, a member of the Swedish Parliament, expressed his anger on the messaging platform 'X,' stating: 'This action is an insult to the Swedish judicial system and to all Swedish citizens of Iranian descent who have lost loved ones due to the crimes of this regime.' He noted that the release of Hamid Nouri is 'a ruthless blow to the wife and children of Ahmadreza Jalali, who have not seen their father for years,' adding: 'The irresponsible Swedish government has abandoned a Swedish citizen to his fate.' Additionally, the website of the Iranian People's Mojahedin Organization reported on Saturday that it had published images and videos of protests by some of its supporters against the Swedish government's decision to release Hamid Nouri. The organization criticized what it termed 'the disgraceful deal for the release of the executioner Hamid Nouri.' The National Council of Resistance of Iran, close to the Mojahedin Organization, also stated in a statement: 'The release of executioner Hamid Nouri, one of the perpetrators of the massacre of 30,000 political prisoners, 90% of whom were members and supporters of the Mojahedin, is a shameful and unjustifiable act that encourages the mullahs' regime and their torturers and executioners to continue genocide and crimes against humanity, as well as hostage-taking and terrorism.' This council described the release of Hamid Nouri as 'a dagger and betrayal of human rights and a violation of the blood of all the martyrs and tortured individuals' that 'gives the ruling mullahs in Iran the assurance that if their terrorists and executioners, such as Assadollah Assadi and Hamid Nouri, are captured by justice in other countries, they will be returned through hostage-taking.' The Judicial Commission of the National Council of Resistance of Iran warned last week about what it termed 'the collusion and deal with the mullah regime for the release of executioner Hamid Nouri and its consequences.' In this context, Prince Reza Pahlavi wrote on the social media platform 'X' addressing the Prime Minister of Sweden: 'The release of war criminal Hamid Nouri is an insult to the rule of law, human rights, and basic decency.' He warned that 'this appeasement will only encourage more hostage-taking and extortion' by the Islamic Republic. Abdullah Mohammadi, Secretary-General of the Komala Party of Iranian Kurdistan, also wrote: 'The conviction of Hamid Nouri in a free and fair court in the atmosphere of Iranian solidarity and the movement of Jina was a significant achievement for the justice-seeking movement, and no dirty deal with murderers and hostage-takers can take that away.' He added: 'The deal today between the Swedish government and the Islamic Republic and the release of Hamid Nouri, on the contrary, is a shameful act and will remain a stain on the Swedish government.' Mahmoud Amiri-Moghaddam, Director of Iran Human Rights Organization, wrote: 'The release of Hamid Nouri by the Swedish government is another shameful page in the history of Western countries' foreign policy towards the Islamic Republic. The smoke of this policy will come back to haunt them, as such deals encourage and strengthen the hostage diplomacy of the Islamic Republic.' Masih Alinejad, a journalist and activist against the Islamic Republic, described the 'extradition of Hamid Nouri from Sweden to Iran' as 'the complicity of the Swedish government with the Islamic Republic in helping a criminal who committed crimes against humanity escape.' She called this action 'a betrayal of human rights and a disregard for the efforts of the families seeking justice for the crimes of the 1980s' and added: 'The extradition of Hamid Nouri to the Islamic Republic means strengthening the bloodthirsty regime of the Islamic Republic.' Hamed Esmaeilioun, a member of the families seeking justice for Flight PS752, also wrote: 'The exchange of Hamid Nouri is a disgraceful stain on the behavior of the Swedish government. The Islamic Republic is a hostage-taking and criminal government. Complicity with this regime is the most shameful act that can be committed by a democratic government. I sympathize with the grieving families of the 1980s who have suffered from the denial of justice.' Mohammad Habibi, a teachers' union activist in Iran, also wrote: 'After the Mahsa/Jina movement, the hegemony of the Iranian diaspora over the political space was so heavy that the social force inside was completely marginalized. The exchange of Hamid Nouri and the recent election events once again showed that the center of gravity for any transformation lies in the social movements inside. The role of the diaspora is merely media and promotional support.' The Human Rights Campaign in Iran stated that 'Hamid Nouri was sentenced in a fair trial, with full access to defense rights, for his participation in the mass execution of political prisoners in the summer of 1988.' They emphasized: 'His sentence is final and has full judicial validity. Various officials of the Swedish government involved in this decision must be held accountable for this anti-human rights action and for bowing to the extortion of the Islamic Republic.' The Hengaw Human Rights Organization also condemned the 'extradition' of Hamid Nouri through a prisoner exchange between Iran and Sweden, mediated by Oman, stating that 'this illegal action not only disregards the justice-seeking efforts of Iranian civil society and human rights but also undermines the independent judicial system of Sweden.' Hengaw warned that 'the return of Hamid Nouri to Iran encourages the Islamic Republic in its hostage-taking policy and further violations of human rights.' This human rights organization, condemning the prisoner exchange between the Islamic Republic and Sweden, emphasized: 'European and Western countries must understand that yielding to the hostage-taking policies of the Islamic Republic ultimately makes their citizens and civil society vulnerable to this regime's policies.' Shiva Mahbubi, a women's rights activist and spokesperson for the Committee for the Release of Political Prisoners in Britain, also wrote: 'The Swedish government has released the criminal Hamid Nouri. Shame on you. If the Swedish judicial system is truly independent, why did they release Hamid Nouri? However, the evidence of Nouri's crimes and his accomplices will not disappear and will still be used in courts as evidence.' Daniela Sepehri, a journalist and human rights activist in Germany, criticized the release of Hamid Nouri, asking why 'you do not release all Swedish hostages?' referring to Ahmadreza Jalali, an Iranian-Swedish physician and researcher who has been sentenced to death by the Islamic Republic on charges of what they termed 'espionage,' which he and his wife Vida Mehranian deny. Kambez Ghafouri, a journalist and human rights activist in Finland, described Hamid Nouri as a 'war criminal,' calling it 'a source of shame for the Swedish government and the free world.' He wrote: 'By releasing Hamid Nouri, Sweden has acquiesced to the hostage-taking policies of the regime. This action by the Swedish government not only slaughtered justice in the face of terrorism but also showed that crime can be overlooked through hostage-taking and political pressure. This decision will lead to distrust in the judicial system and human values of Sweden.' Khatereh Moieni, from the families seeking justice for Khavaran, also wrote: 'Shame on you for betraying the belief in justice.' Atena Daemi, a human rights activist in Canada, also wrote: 'From the beginning, it was clear that Hamid Nouri's case would end in an exchange and his release. The Islamic Republic has been paving the way for prisoner exchanges with money or the release of its criminal elements for years by taking citizens of other countries hostage and attributing baseless accusations to them, and unfortunately, other countries, instead of resisting against the bullying and hostage-taking of the Islamic Republic, ultimately prioritize their own people's and country's interests, proving this time and again.' Ladan Bromand, one of the founders of the Abdolhamid Bromand Foundation, wrote: 'This rewards hostage-taking and ensures that Tehran is aware of the political and financial benefits of its repeated crime.' Meanwhile, Ladan Bazargan, from the families seeking justice for Khavaran, wrote: 'The war criminal Hamid Nouri has been released, but the truth of the 1988 massacre has been proven in over 90 sessions and remains historic! This trial was a significant victory for the justice-seeking movement, and crimes against humanity by the Islamic Republic have been recorded in history.' At the same time, amid widespread criticism of the Swedish government's decision, Josep Borrell, the EU's foreign policy chief, expressed happiness over the release of Johan Flodros and Saeed Azizi, two Swedish citizens, on the messaging platform 'X,' stating: 'Other EU citizens remain arbitrarily detained in Iran, and we will continue our work with EU member states to secure their release.' His statement faced criticism from some social media users who wrote that he should be ashamed and asked why Ahmadreza Jalali has not been released. Previously, the Supreme Court of Stockholm had confirmed on March 7 that it had rejected Hamid Nouri's appeal against the life sentence, reaffirming the previous ruling. The life sentence, which is the highest punishment under Swedish law, was finalized on December 19 after an appeal court hearing in Stockholm for Hamid Nouri, who was 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 execution and torture of political prisoners in the 1980s, relations between Tehran and Stockholm soured. Some 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, effectively taking these citizens hostage. Kambez Ghafouri: The Islamic Republic wants to retrieve Hamid Nouri by taking Swedish citizens hostage. Hamid Nouri, sentenced to life imprisonment, was released and returned from Sweden to Iran. Hamid Nouri returned to Iran; two Swedish citizens imprisoned by the Islamic Republic were released. The Judicial Commission of the National Council of Resistance warned about the 'preparation' by the Swedish government for the release of Hamid Nouri. The five-year prison sentence of Saeed Azizi, a dual Iranian-Swedish citizen, was upheld in the appeals court. The Supreme Court of Sweden reaffirmed Hamid Nouri's life sentence; Iraj Masdagh: A victory for the seekers of justice. The five-year prison sentence for Saeed Azizi was upheld; Reza Shafakhah: My client's health condition has worsened. Young Swedish parents detained by the Islamic Republic called for their child's release, even at the cost of exchanging with Hamid Nouri. The United Nations warned about the imminent execution of Ahmadreza Jalali.