Iran FM meets Swedish ambassador, renews Tehran’s call for immediate release of Hamid Nouri

August 22, 2022 - 21:52

TEHRAN— Iranian Foreign Minister Hossein Amir Abdollahian on Saturday reiterated Tehran’s call for the release of the Iranian citizen jailed in Sweden.

Amir Abdollahian discussed the matter in a meeting with Swedish ambassador to Tehran Mattias Lentz.

Amir Abdollahian described the illegal court proceedings and verdict in the case of Hamid Nouri as unacceptable.

He also underlined the necessity of his full acquittal and immediate release.

The Iranian foreign minister also called for ensuring Nouri’s basic rights, including access to medical services and contact with his family.

The Swedish ambassador, in turn, promised to convey the issue to his government quickly, saying the policy of his country is continued consultations with the aim of maintaining and improving relations with Iran.

Hamid Nouri, a former Iranian judiciary official charged in Sweden on false 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.

Tehran has harshly criticized the Swedish court's decision to sentence Nouri to life in jail, stating that the court is ill-equipped to handle the situation.

Nasser Kanaani, the spokesman for the Iranian Foreign Ministry, said in mid-July that the court's statement is essentially twisted and undesirable, and that the court lacks legal jurisdiction to deal with the matter.

The spokesperson stated that Iran holds Sweden liable for the harm done to ties between the two nations by unsubstantiated remarks and the verdict.

He asserted that the Swedish court system actively supports and promotes terrorism in contrast to Iran's government, which opposes permitting a terrorist organization to operate freely.

Kanaani lamented that Sweden had used its legal system to advance the evil intentions of the MKO terrorist organization.