Iran says detained Swede for ‘committing crimes’
ERBIL, Kurdistan Region - Iran’s judiciary on Tuesday said it had arrested a Swedish national for “committing crimes” in the country.
The Swede was arrested for “committing crimes in the territory of the Islamic Republic of Iran,” judiciary spokesperson Massoud Setayeshi said in a briefing.
“The investigation is being finalized” and the Swedish national will remain in prison until the case gets forwarded to court in the coming days, Setayeshi added.
Currently, there are a number of dual and foreign nationals being held in Iranian prisons on charges of spying for foreign governments, with rights groups accusing Tehran of using them as bargaining chips to gain concessions from world powers.
Last week, the European Union confirmed that 33-year old Swedish diplomat Johan Floderus had been held in Iran for over 500 days.
Josep Borrell, EU’s foreign policy chief, as well as the Swedish government, have both called on Tehran to release Floderus.
In May, Iran carried out the death sentence of dual Swedish-Iranian dissident Habib Farajollah Chaab, following charges of “terrorism” and “spreading corruption on earth.”
In its annual world report on global rights conditions for the year 2022 published early January, Human Rights Watch (HRW) slammed Iran for conducting unfair trials and obtaining confessions under duress, as well as for targeting dual and foreign nationals on the grounds of vague accusations, including that of “cooperating with a hostile state.”
“Iranian courts, and particularly revolutionary courts, regularly fall far short of providing fair trials, and use confessions likely obtained under torture as evidence in court,” the report read.
The Swede was arrested for “committing crimes in the territory of the Islamic Republic of Iran,” judiciary spokesperson Massoud Setayeshi said in a briefing.
“The investigation is being finalized” and the Swedish national will remain in prison until the case gets forwarded to court in the coming days, Setayeshi added.
Currently, there are a number of dual and foreign nationals being held in Iranian prisons on charges of spying for foreign governments, with rights groups accusing Tehran of using them as bargaining chips to gain concessions from world powers.
Last week, the European Union confirmed that 33-year old Swedish diplomat Johan Floderus had been held in Iran for over 500 days.
Josep Borrell, EU’s foreign policy chief, as well as the Swedish government, have both called on Tehran to release Floderus.
In May, Iran carried out the death sentence of dual Swedish-Iranian dissident Habib Farajollah Chaab, following charges of “terrorism” and “spreading corruption on earth.”
In its annual world report on global rights conditions for the year 2022 published early January, Human Rights Watch (HRW) slammed Iran for conducting unfair trials and obtaining confessions under duress, as well as for targeting dual and foreign nationals on the grounds of vague accusations, including that of “cooperating with a hostile state.”
“Iranian courts, and particularly revolutionary courts, regularly fall far short of providing fair trials, and use confessions likely obtained under torture as evidence in court,” the report read.