TEHRAN— On Saturday, Iran's Foreign Ministry spokesman urged European countries to release jailed Iranian citizens.

Nasser Kanaani told IRNA that the detention and trial of Iranian national Hamid Nouri in Sweden were unconstitutional and based on baseless claims.

After months of trial, Nouri was condemned to life in jail by a Swedish court.

Kanaani stated that Nouri's incarceration and trial were completely unacceptable to Iran, and that Tehran had formally requested Nouri's release from the Swedish government, pursuing the case both legally and politically.
The official also stated that the foreign ministry was doing the same for Assadollah Assadi, another Iranian national held in Belgium, in order to free him.

Nouri, a former Iranian judiciary official charged in Sweden on fabricated charges, has been held in solitary confinement for over three years, according to his son Majid Nouri who recently spoke to the press.

The son also indicated that their family had recently been kept in dark about the father’s circumstances.

"My father has not been able to contact his family… and he has been held in solitary confinement for 1,000 days," Majid Nouri told reporters.

In November 2019, Hamid Nouri was detained upon arrival at Stockholm Airport. The former official was given a life sentence by a Swedish court in July. Iran has demanded Nouri's release and rejected the Swedish court's ruling as unconstitutional.

Nouri mentioned at a press conference held on Tuesday by the Judiciary spokesperson that the Swedish police just needed to express remorse for the abuse of his father.

Nouri's son said that his father hadn't yet received the text of the judgment in Persian.  "He hasn't read the verdict, the choice of his new attorney hasn't yet been made, and there are only around 40 days left for the appeal," the son stated.

Iranian Judiciary spokesman Masoud Setayeshi said last week that Hamid Nouri is being held in the worst circumstances possible.

He is denied access to even basic rights like communication with his family, the spokesman said.

Setayeshi emphasized the need for the Swedish court to hear from the witnesses and from Hamid Nouri himself.

The accusations against Nouri arise from claims by members of the terrorist Mojahedin-e Khalq Organization (MKO). The accusations have been vigorously denied by Nouri.

Looking to the East doesn’t mean overlooking other areas of the world

The diplomat also touched on President Ebrahim Raisi's foreign policy, stating that his approach was based on dormant potentials in this field.

According to Kanaani, the major diplomatic strategy of the 13th administration, i.e. the Raisi government, is active, balanced, and clever foreign policy based on the looking to Asia and looking to the East policies to utilize the prospects of the East.

He stated that the administration's accomplishments during Raisi's one-year tenure demonstrate that the selected policy was correct in protecting Iran's interests.

The concentration on Asia does not mean that other geographies' potentials are overlooked, Kanaani said, adding that the present administration has prioritized economic progress and the development of trade relations with various countries.

A new mindset has emerged in Riyadh

The spokesman also commented on Iran and Saudi Arabia talks, noting that different problems are being discussed in these talks, both bilaterally and regionally.

He highlighted, however, that a new mindset has emerged in Saudi Arabia, which believes that the talks should continue so that Tehran and Riyadh can resume diplomatic ties.