Iran Confirms Arrest of Swedish EU Official
Iran confirmed on Tuesday the arrest of a Swedish citizen working for the European Union, stating that his case will soon be transferred to court, as reported by Politico.
"The investigation is concluding, and the case will be handed over to the competent court in the coming days with the final decision of the prosecution," said Iran's judiciary spokesman, Masoud Setayeshi.
Setayeshi did not disclose the name of the Swedish citizen but mentioned that he is accused of committing crimes on Iranian soil.
Last week, The New York Times reported that Swedish citizen and EU employee Johan Floderus had been detained in Iran for over 500 days. Josep Borrell, the EU's High Representative for Foreign Affairs, confirmed Floderus's arrest, stating that he is "relentlessly" working on his release and will continue to insist on his freedom.
Reportedly, Floderus, who works in the European External Action Service, was arrested on espionage charges in April 2022 during a private trip to Iran.
The news of the arrest drew a reaction from EU members who criticized the decision to keep his detention secret for so long. Since then, Floderus's family has initiated a campaign in his support and condemned the inhumane conditions he has endured in Iran's notorious Evin prison, including limited contact with his family, prolonged solitary confinement, and rare phone calls.
Floderus's arrest is seen as the latest in a growing pattern of "hostage diplomacy" employed by Iran in an attempt to gain concessions from the West. Earlier this year, Belgian humanitarian worker Olivier Vanderstichelen was released after spending over a year in an Iranian prison in exchange for the convicted terrorist Assadollah Assadi, who was imprisoned in Belgium.
It is reported that Iran sought to arrange a prisoner exchange with Sweden, offering to release Floderus in exchange for detained Iranian official Hamid Nouri. However, the agreement was contested by the Swedish Court of Appeals. In July 2022, Nouri was sentenced to life imprisonment in Sweden for his involvement in the mass killing of Iranian political prisoners.