Swedish gangster jailed in Iran

In Iran, another Swedish citizen has been arrested. The Swedish Foreign Ministry confirmed corresponding media reports on Monday evening. Accordingly, it is a man in his 20s from central Sweden who was arrested at the beginning of this month. The Foreign Ministry did not provide further details.

It was initially unclear why he was arrested. According to media reports, it is a 20-year-old gang criminal who is suspected of being an accessory to murder in Sweden. In December, prosecutors in Sweden issued an international arrest warrant. According to the Swedish Foreign Ministry, there are currently a “handful of complicated consular cases involving Swedes being deprived of their freedom in Iran.” The Foreign Ministry did not provide any information about the exact number of detainees – in order not to complicate the work and for reasons of confidentiality.

Tensions between the two countries escalated after the Iranian Hamid Nouri was put on trial in Sweden. In the summer of 2022 he was sentenced to life imprisonment for murder and serious crimes against humanity. He was involved in the murder of political prisoners in Iran in the 1980s and took part in mass executions in a leading position. An appeals court confirmed the verdict in December 2023.

While the trial against Nouri was ongoing, Swedish EU diplomat Johan Floderus was arrested on a private trip to Iran in April 2022 for alleged espionage. According to an Iranian justice portal, Floderus is accused of “extensive secret service cooperation with the Zionist regime and corruption.” He is also said to have, among other things, set up a network of agents for the Swedish secret service. The negotiations are nearing completion. Floderus faces the death penalty.

Iran demands Nouri's release. According to the newspaper Aftonbladet, Iran had pushed for the Swedish government to intervene during the trial and ensure that Nouri was released. References to the independence of the courts were therefore ignored. Accordingly, Iran had communicated through various channels that Swedish citizens were not safe in the country. The message was: “You take our citizens prisoner, then you have to look after your citizens in our country.”