As part of the deal, Sweden will release Hamid Nouri, who was handed a life sentence for crimes against humanity after being detained in Stockholm in 2019. Nouri was involved in the 1988 prison massacres, ordered by Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini, that saw as many as 5,000 inmates executed.
“It’s been more than 30 years that survivors and families of the victims [of the 1988 massacres] have been trying to seek truth and justice both inside and outside of Iran — and the prosecution of Nouri in Sweden was really the first time any Iranian official was held accountable,” said Nassim Papayianni, a campaigner focusing on Iran with Amnesty International.
POLITICO previously reported that Floderus was being considered as part of a potential prisoner exchange that would see Iran exchange him for Nouri. But Swedish Foreign Minister Tobias Billström had declined to shed light on the deal.
On Saturday, Kristersson said Iran had turned both prisoners “into pawns in a cynical negotiation game” to ensure the release of Nouri.
“As prime minister, I bear a special responsibility for the security of Swedish citizens,” Kristersson said. “The government has therefore worked intensively on the issue, together with the Swedish security service, which has been negotiating with Iran,” he said.
“It has always been clear that the operation would require some difficult decisions,” he added. “Now we have made those decisions. Soon, two Swedish citizens land in Sweden and are finally reunited with their relatives.”
