Swedish EU diplomat detained In Iran for over 500 days, Borrell confirms

The top diplomat representing the European Union confirmed on Tuesday (September 5)that Johan Floderus, a Swedish diplomat employed by the EU, has been held in captivity in Iran for more than 500 days.

EU foreign policy chief Josep Borrell, speaking to reporters during a meeting in Cadiz, Spain, asserted that Brussels was exerting continuous efforts to secure the release of the 33-year-old individual, reported AFP.

The previous day, Sweden had partially corroborated a report by The New York Times regarding the detention, disclosing that a Swedish citizen in his thirties had been held in Iran since April 2022. However, Borrell provided further details by confirming the detainee's identity and his affiliation with the EU diplomatic service.

Borrell stated, "I would like to address a specific case, if you permit me, the situation of Mr. Floderus. He is a Swedish national who was employed by the European Union and has been unlawfully detained in Iran for the past 500 days." He emphasised that he, along with his team at all levels, the European institutions, and in close coordination with the Swedish authorities, had been actively urging the Iranian authorities to releaseFloderus.

"At every diplomatic encounter, across all levels, we have raised this issue persistently. We have been tirelessly working towards securing Mr. Floderus's freedom, and we will continue to do so while maintaining close communication with his family, respecting their wishes, and collaborating with the Swedish government," he affirmed.

"This matter is of utmost importance to us, and we will not cease our efforts until Mr. Floderus is freed."

Iran had announced in July of the previous year that it had apprehended an individual on suspicion of espionage, just two weeks after a Swedish court sentenced an Iranian citizen to life imprisonment for his involvement in the 1988 mass executions of thousands of Iranian regime opponents. A Stockholm court had found Hamid Noury, a former Iranian prison chief, guilty of "aggravated crimes against international law" and "murder."

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Accusations of 'hostage diplomacy'

Several countries have accused Iran of engaging in "hostage diplomacy," detaining Western nationals as a means to obtain concessions, including the release of incarcerated Iranians. In May, Belgian humanitarian worker Olivier Vandecasteele, aged 42, was released after 15 months in detention on alleged espionage charges, as part of a prisoner exchange for Iranian diplomat Assadollah Assadi, who had been sentenced to 20 years for plotting to bomb an opposition rally in Paris.

(With inputs from agencies)

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