Iranian parliament commission passes prisoner swap deal with Belgium

A spokesman for the Iranian parliament’s national security and foreign policy commission says the body passed the bill embodying a treaty for the transfer of convicts between Iran and Belgium.

Abolfazl Amouei said the motion had been referred to this commission for review and approval.

Amouei said the proposed 22-point treaty was sent to parliament in the form of a bill to run its legal course after being approved by the Iranian cabinet in June.

The Raisi administration says it agreed to the bill given the need to put in place a judicial cooperation mechanism between Tehran and Brussels and to expand bilateral ties.

The Belgian parliament had earlier approved the prisoner swap treaty with Iran, but a court in the European country later put it on hold temporarily.

Under the deal, Iranian diplomat Assadollah Assadi who is under arrest in Belgium for allegedly orchestrating an attack against a gathering of the MKO terrorist group in Belgium with be exchanged with a Belgian national in custody in Iran for espionage.

Iran vehemently denies Assadi planned an attack on Belgian soil.

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