On Friday, a week after the Belgian Government negotiated the release of aid worker Olivier Vandecasteele in exchange for a convicted Iranian terrorist, Iran has freed three more European prisoners from jail. Both moves have come following the deal Belgium brokered with the Iranian regime.
According to Belgian authorities, the latest releases are of two Austrians, who hold Iranian citizenship, and a Danish woman. All are said to now be on a plane to Belgium from Oman, which was pivotal in the process that resulted in the freedom of Vandecasteele, a Belgian humanitarian aid worker.
At the time, the exchange involving Vandecasteele was criticised for effectively rewarding Iran for its widely condemned repressive regime and as setting a dangerous precedent regarding future releases.
Of the two Austrians flying home, one, believed to be in his late 50s, is businessman Dr Kamran Ghaderi, who had been held captive since January, 2016, on Tehran’s allegations he was an Austrian spy. Sentenced to 10-years in prison, his family reported that he had been tortured while in captivity in conditions said to be unbearable.
The other Austrian released, Massud Mossaheb, had been held in Tehran’s notorious Evin prison since January, 2019. Mossaheb, 73, had also been given a 10-year jail sentence.
Extremely grateful to our friends in #Oman who played a crucial role in releasing two Austrian-Iranian citizens from imprisonment in #Iran. Our long-standing diplomatic commitment has paid off.
Extended my heartfelt thanks to my counterpart @badralbusaidi for Oman‘s support!— Alexander Schallenberg (@a_schallenberg) June 2, 2023
The freed female Dane had been arrested in November, 2022, amid populist unrest in Iran following the alleged killing of Mahsa Amini by Iranian authorities. The 22-year-old’s death came after Iran’s Guidance Patrol, the religious morality police of the government, arrested her for wearing the hijab in an “improper manner”. She was apparently severely beaten by the police as a result and died in hospital shortly after.
The liberation of the two Austrians and the Danish woman is part of the deal in which Belgium released convicted terrorist and Iranian diplomat Assadollah Assadi. He was given a 20-year jail term for planning a bomb attack on a rally supported by Iranian opposition in Paris.
However, it seems Iran has not made further enquiries regarding three other Iranians detained in Belgium.
As in Vandecasteele’s case, the freed Austrians and the Dane are being flown to Belgium via Oman in an operation orchestrated by Belgian State Security.
Belgian Minister of Justice, Vincent Van Quickenborne, said his country is monitoring around 25 other Europeans imprisoned in Iran who are regarded as innocent, saying Belgium is continuing its efforts to liberate them and others.
Belgian Prime Minister, Alexander De Croo, said on Twitter he is updating his Austrian and Danish colleagues regarding the three latest released prisoners and that his government will continue advocating for the humane treatment and freedom of all Europeans said to be unjustly held in Iran.
Yesterday in Chisinau, I updated my colleagues @karlnehammer & @Statsmin Frederiksen on the imminent release of 3 Austrian and Danish prisoners, heading to Belgium via Oman.
We'll continue advocating for the release and humane treatment of all Europeans unjustly held in Iran. pic.twitter.com/uwJyvmye4s
— Alexander De Croo 🇧🇪🇪🇺 (@alexanderdecroo) June 2, 2023
As Belgium held exchange negotiations with Iran, many European countries also began to issue pleas for their own imprisoned countrymen and women.
Among Europeans still held captive in Iran is the Swedish-Iranian scientist, Ahmadreza Djalali, who has been sentenced to death. However, Tehran has refused to give ground in his case.
