Tehran summons Swedish envoy over Iranian citizen case

The director of the Western Europe Division III of the Iranian foreign ministry summoned the Swedish diplomat in the absence of Sweden’s ambassador to Tehran on Thursday after the court issued the conviction against Nouri, a former Iranian judiciary official.

The Swedish diplomat was presented with an official protest note.

The Iranian foreign ministry diplomat called the sentence “illegal and contrary to the principles of the international law”, calling the tribunal “incompetent” and the court proceedings “illegal”.

He further blasted Sweden for its “selective approach towards terrorism” by giving credence to the MKO’s allegations against Nouri.

The Iranian foreign ministry diplomat further reminded that the Iranian citizen had been subjected to solitary confinement, as well as various other limitations and mental and physical pressures, calling the inhumane conditions “practical manifestation of torture and violation of the fundamental human rights”.

He said the Swedish government was responsible for the violation of the Iranian citizen’s rights and the repercussions that his treatment would have on Sweden’s relations with the Islamic Republic.

The diplomat called on Stockholm to reverse Nouri’s conviction, enable his immediate release, and compensate him for the dire conditions that he has been forced to suffer.

The Swedish diplomat said the Iranian citizen would be provided with the chance to appeal his conviction, and vowed to relay Iran’s protest at the case to the respective government.

Nouri, who has been in solitary confinement in Sweden since 2019, was sentenced to life imprisonment by a court in Sweden on Thursday.

Nouri was arrested by Swedish police in late 2019 on baseless allegations against him by the MKO terrorist group.

Speaking at a phone conversation with his family in late June, Nouri had complained that the restrictions on him had been increased while it was more than 50 days after his final trial and he was waiting for the verdict of the court.

He said that all his contacts with his family has been cut and he had only been able to have two short phone calls with his family.

These two phone calls were even strictly controlled in the presence of an interpreter, he added.

Nouri said that although he was suffering from eye problems, he had no access to optometrist.

He also talked about his physical torture in the Swedish prison as he said three police officers had beaten him up severely at the head and the ears so that his ears were still aching.

The former Iranian official had complained that he was being kept at solitary confinement for two years and eight months while no human rights body had followed up his case.

In a mid-July letter to the United Nations high commissionaire on human rights Michelle Bachelet, the secretary of Iran’s High Council for Human Rights Kazem Gharibabadi, gave an explanation of Nouri’s situation and expressed grave concern over the violation of his human rights.

Gharibabadi said that Sweden’s treatment of Nouri constituted a violation of several international treaties, conventions, and law on human rights.

The Iranian official called on Bachelet to hold Sweden accountable, prevent continuation of human rights violations, and make efforts to release Nouri, and compensate him for damages.