IFP Exclusive

Belgium parliament OKs prisoner swap treaty with Iran

The Belgian parliament approves a treaty with Iran that would allow prisoner exchanges between the two countries, in a move that could possibly set the stage for the release of an Iranian diplomat unlawfully imprisoned in the European country on fabricated claims.

In a session held late on Wednesday, the lawmakers voted by 79 to 41 to back the agreement, while 11 others abstained. The agreement had already won approval from a parliamentary commission on July 6.

The treaty will now potentially clear the way for the release of Assadollah Assadi, the Iranian diplomat sentenced by a Belgian court to 20 years in prison after accusing him of “masterminding” an alleged attack against the Mujahedin-e-Khalq (MKO) anti-Iran terrorist group.

Belgian authorities said that the Belgian police had intercepted a car carrying homemade explosives and a detonation device, claiming that Assadollah Assadi had handed the materials to two people in Belgium earlier.

Assadi, himself, was apprehended in Germany the next day and told that he could not apply his diplomatic immunity.

Tehran has slammed the illegal detention and the fake allegations levelled against the diplomat, demanding that Belgium recognize Assadi’s diplomatic status and send him back home.

Iran described the whole case as a preplanned scenario devised by the notorious MKO terror group with the goal of Iranophobia.

The agreement has drawn angry criticism from several US legislators and members of the MKO terror group.

IFP Editorial Staff

The IFP Editorial Staff is composed of dozens of skilled journalists, news-writers, and analysts whose works are edited and published by experienced editors specialized in Iran News. The editor of each IFP Service is responsible for the report published by the Iran Front Page (IFP) news website, and can be contacted through the ways mentioned in the "IFP Editorial Staff" section.

Recent Posts

Int’l lawyer: US plans to sanction countries cooperating with ICC on Netanyahu arrest

An international law expert and analyst has revealed the U.S. plans to impose punitive measures…

2 hours ago

Minister of science: 25% of Iranian university professors emigrated due to economic challenges

Iran’s Minister of Science, Research, and Technology, Hossein Simayee Saraf, addressed on Thursday academic migration…

2 hours ago

IRGC commander: ICC ruling against Netanyahu signifies political demise of Israel

The Commander of Iran’s Islamic Revolution Guard Corps (IRGC), Major General Hossein Salami, says that…

2 hours ago

IRGC: US Iran’s main enemy, Israel can’t survive without its support

The spokesperson and deputy head of public relations for the Islamic Revolution Guard Corps (IRGC)…

4 hours ago

Iran says increased number of its centrifuges in response to the IAEA resolution

The Atomic Energy Organization and the Iranian Foreign Ministry announced that, in response to the…

4 hours ago

Iranian, Belarusian tourism ministers meet on facilitating tourist movement

Iran's Minister of Cultural Heritage, Tourism, and Handicrafts, Seyed Reza Salehi Amiri, met on Thursday…

7 hours ago