TEHRAN – Iran’s top human rights official has confirmed the release of Hamid Nouri, a former Iranian judiciary official who had been detained in Sweden since 2019. 

Kazem Gharibabadi, head of the Iranian Judiciary’s High Council for Human Rights, announced Nouri’s release via a post on his X account on Saturday. 

"I am delighted to inform the esteemed nation of Iran that Hamid Nouri, who has been under detention in Sweden since 2019, has been released and will be returning to our country within a few hours," Gharibabadi stated.

Gharibabadi credited Nouri’s release to the persistent efforts of colleagues in the Judiciary, the Iranian Ministry of Intelligence, and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, including the late Foreign Minister Hossein Amir Abdollahian.

Nouri was arrested upon his arrival at Stockholm Airport in November 2019 and subsequently imprisoned. For over three and a half years, he was held in solitary confinement. His arrest was based on allegations from the Mujahedin-e-Khalq Organization (MKO), a group known for its past terrorist activities against Iranian officials and civilians.

In 2022, a Swedish court sentenced Nouri to life imprisonment on charges of “war crimes and crimes against humanity,” which Iran denounced as illegitimate. These charges were primarily based on testimonies from MKO members living in exile. The conviction was upheld by Sweden’s Appeal Court in December 2023.

Iranian authorities had repeatedly stated that Nouri’s imprisonment and trial in Sweden was politically-motivated, noting that the case was influenced by pressure and propaganda of anti-Iran groups and individuals living in the West.

Nouri consistently denied the accusations, saying they were fabricated. His family reported that he faced harassment from the MKO during court sessions and suffered from health issues, including acute vision problems and lack of medical care. Additionally, they claimed he had been physically assaulted by Swedish authorities on several occasions.

Swedish attorney Thomas Bodstrom, representing Nouri, highlighted the extreme conditions of his client's detention, noting that Nouri had broken the record for the longest solitary confinement in Swedish history, making him “the most isolated prisoner” the country has seen.

Bodstrom also argued that by Nouri’s trial, Sweden deprived itself of hundreds of thousands, or even millions, of Iranian visitors who have worked in the Iranian government and do not want to risk life imprisonment by visiting Sweden.

The release of Nouri from Swedish prison was part of a prisoner swap that involved the release of the former Iranian official in exchange for a European Union diplomat and another Swedish-Iranian citizen.

The prisoner swap was mediated by Oman, the country’s foreign ministry said in a statement. “Omani efforts resulted in the two sides agreeing on a mutual release, as those released were transferred from Tehran and Stockholm,” it said.

The Oman News Agency confirmed on Saturday that prisoners were transferred from Tehran and Stockholm to Muscat before being returned to their countries.

On Saturday, Swedish Prime Minister Ulf Kristersson confirmed that Swedish national Johan Floderus and Iranian-Swedish Saeed Azizi were released by Tehran and are on their way back to the country.

Kristersson confirmed in a video released by the government that Nouri was now being transported back to Iran.

Additionally, the spokesman for Iranian Ministry of Foreign Affairs highlighted that Nouri's release, orchestrated through the schemes of the Zionist regime and the actions of the terrorist MKO organization, exemplifies the Islamic Republic of Iran's strong diplomacy in protecting national interests and supporting Iranian citizens' rights.

Nasser Kanaani noted that Nouri's release from an illegitimate Swedish court ruling was achieved through persistent political, legal, and consular efforts by Iran's diplomatic apparatus, judiciary, and other relevant authorities.

He also emphasized the importance of acknowledging the special attention given by late President Ebrahim Raisi and the continuous efforts of the late Foreign Minister Hossein Amir Abdollahian in securing Nouri's release.

The spokesman stressed that after enduring 1,680 days of unjust captivity, which violated fundamental human rights, Hamid Nouri has finally returned to his homeland and reunited with his patient family and loved ones.

Kanaani expressed gratitude to Oman for its role in facilitating this process and reiterated that the Iranian Ministry of Foreign Affairs will continue its dedicated efforts to secure the freedom of other Iranian citizens detained abroad.