Iran confirms release of European national from jail

Iran’s top human rights official has confirmed the release of two Iranian-Austrian nationals and a Danish citizen, who were serving prison terms in Iran for security-related crimes, on “humanitarian grounds.”

“Two imprisoned Iranian citizens, namely Massoud Mosaheb and Kamran Qaderi, and a Danish prisoner were released today on humanitarian grounds,” read a tweet on Friday evening by Kazem Gharibabadi, the vice-president of the Judiciary for International Affairs and the Secretary-General of Iran’s High Council for Human Rights.

The news was earlier announced by Vienna and Copenhagen, who thanked Oman and Belgium for their helping in securing their release.

Qaderi was arrested in 2016 and sentenced to 10 years in prison after he was found guilty of espionage for the US.

Mossaheb was also detained in 2019 and convicted of providing information to Israel’s Mossad spy agency over Iran’s defense and nuclear programs.

The Danish citizen freed has not been identified.

Media reports said an Oman Royal Air Force Gulfstream IV, which had been on the ground in Tehran for several days, took off shortly before the announcement.

Last week, a prisoner exchange between Belgium and Iran saw the release of Belgian national Olivier Vandecasteele.

In exchange, Belgium freed Iranian diplomat Assadollah Assadi, a diplomat had had been imprisoned on charge of terrorism since 2018. Iran had denied the allegations leveled against Assadi.

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