Iran has held a member of the European Union’s foreign service detained for more than a year. It is about a man from Sweden who is detained in the infamous Evin prison The New York Times and Swedish media Monday.
The EU foreign service confirms that Iran is detaining a Swede “for political reasons”. He would according The New York Times been in prison since April last year.
The European agency calls it another example of Tehran’s “tendency to use EU citizens as pawns” to get other things done, a spokesman said. For example, Iran previously negotiated with Belgium the extradition of an Iranian diplomat convicted of terrorism plans in exchange for an imprisoned aid worker.
The Swedish government also confirms that there is “a man in his thirties” in an Iranian cell. Neither Brussels nor Stockholm want to say who exactly is involved or provide other details.
According to The New York Times and several Swedish media, it concerns Johan Floderus. He would not have been on a business trip, but as a tourist in Iran when he was arrested. According to the American newspaper, Floderus traveled to Iran several times without any problems for a previous job at the European Commission.
2023-09-04 13:36:10
#Iran #detaining #Swedish #staff #member #foreign #service #year
