Iran and Sweden Announce Prisoner Exchange, Former Iranian Official Released in Sweden

On Saturday, Iran and Sweden announced a prisoner exchange. The exchange involved the release of a former Iranian official in Sweden in exchange for a European Union diplomat and a second Swedish national.

Hamid Noury, a former Iranian official who had been in illegal detention in Sweden since 2019, was set free and was expected to return to Iran shortly. At the same time, Johan Floderus, the EU diplomat, and a second Swedish national, who had been held in Iran, were released and were on a flight back to Sweden. Floderus had been accused of espionage and was at risk of being sentenced to death.

Efforts and Mediation

Efforts led by the late Iranian foreign minister Hossein Amir-Abdollahian, who passed away in a helicopter crash alongside President Ebrahim Raisi in May, were credited for the release of Noury. The neutral country of Oman also played a role in mediating between Iran and Western governments, leading to the agreement for the mutual release of detained nationals.

Noury arrived at Tehran's Mehrabad airport and was greeted by his family members and officials, including Kazem Gharibabadi. The 63-year-old expressed his gratitude towards the officials and the people of Iran for his release.

International Involvement

The exchange of individuals between Iran and Sweden also drew attention to the involvement of other European countries, with at least six other Europeans currently being detained in Iran. French citizen Louis Arnaud, who spent over 20 months incarcerated in Iran, was among those who recently returned to his home country.