Belgian aid worker Olivier Vandecasteele was on his way home on Friday after spending nearly 15 months in detention in Iran after an Oman-negotiated prisoner exchange with Tehran, according to senior officials from the two governments.
Belgium's Prime Minister Alexander De Croo tweeted a picture of Mr Vandecasteele, 42, in which he appears to be standing in a military plane.
The picture of the former detainee, dressed in a black jacket and a pink shirt, was accompanied by the caption: “Finally with us.”
Iran's government announced in parallel that diplomat Assadolah Asadi had been freed from a Belgian prison, shortly after Oman said that it had mediated an exchange in its capital Muscat, without naming the prisoners involved.
Mr Vandecasteele arrived in Oman on Thursday evening, according to Mr De Croo. He was welcomed by Belgian diplomats and soldiers before undergoing medical tests the next morning and departing for Belgium, where he is expected to arrive on Friday evening between 9pm and 10pm CET.
Mr De Croo said in a video statement that Mr Vandecasteele's life “takes precedent” over all other considerations.
“We do not abandon anyone in Belgium, especially not when they are innocent,” he said. He described his living conditions in prison in Iran as “unbearable”.
Belgian officials and his family previously described Mr Vandecasteele's arrest and sentence of 40 years in prison and 74 lashes for espionage earlier this year as part of Iran's “hostage diplomacy”.
Belgian government sources confirmed that they had exchanged Mr Vandecasteele for Asadi, a move that recently became possible after Belgian courts ruled that a prisoner swap treaty could go ahead legally.
Iran's Foreign Affairs Minister Hossein Amirabdollahian said in a tweet that Asadi would soon arrive in his home country.
Mr Amirabdollahian added that the diplomat had been “illegally detained in Germany and Belgium for more than two years” and thanked Oman for its “positive efforts”.
The Iranian also travelled via Oman before returning to Iran, according to Oman's Foreign Affairs Ministry.
“The Sultanate of Oman appreciates the positive high level spirit that prevailed during discussions in Muscat between the Iranian and Belgian sides, and their commitment to resolving this humanitarian issue,” the ministry said.
Mr Vandecasteele was arrested in Tehran in 2022. His family's spokesman told The National last month that the Belgian aid worker had recently been moved from solitary confinement to a shared cell.
The spokesman, Olivier Van Steirtegem, expressed fears for Mr Vandecasteele's health, as he had lost 25kg in prison, lost all his toenails and suffered from ear, stomach and dental infections during his detention.
Asadi was convicted on terrorism offences in 2021 and sentenced to 20 years in prison after he was found guilty of masterminding a thwarted bomb attack against an exiled Iranian opposition group in France.
The group, called the National Council of Resistance in Iran, had tried to block the prisoner exchange, arguing that it encouraged Iran to take hostages to trade for jailed agents, and challenged Belgium's prisoner swap treaty with Iran.
The treaty was suspended in December as a result, but Belgium's highest court upheld it in March, paving the way for Mr Vandecasteele's and Asadi's freedom on Friday.
The National Council of Resistance said in a statement shared with The National on Friday that it condemned the release of Asadi, whom it described as “the terrorist diplomat”.
They said that the constitutional court in Belgium had stated in its judgment that the Belgian government should have informed them before Asadi's transfer to “have the opportunity to once again take the issue to the court”.
“The Iranian resistance will continue to seek justice in Belgium and in the international arena to the extent possible,” the group said.
Iran has detained numerous foreigners and dual citizens over the years, convicting and sentencing them in secretive courts in an attempt to use them as leverage in negotiations with other countries, the UN found in 2022.
Iran, facing western sanctions over its nuclear programme, has been rocked by protests in recent months and has also been hit by economic strain.
Oman's Sultan Haitham was already scheduled to visit Tehran this weekend before the announced prisoner swap.
Specs
Engine: 51.5kW electric motor
Range: 400km
Power: 134bhp
Torque: 175Nm
Price: From Dh98,800
Available: Now
The specs
Engine: 2.0-litre 4cyl turbo
Power: 261hp at 5,500rpm
Torque: 405Nm at 1,750-3,500rpm
Transmission: 9-speed auto
Fuel consumption: 6.9L/100km
On sale: Now
Price: From Dh117,059
How to apply for a drone permit
- Individuals must register on UAE Drone app or website using their UAE Pass
- Add all their personal details, including name, nationality, passport number, Emiratis ID, email and phone number
- Upload the training certificate from a centre accredited by the GCAA
- Submit their request
What are the regulations?
- Fly it within visual line of sight
- Never over populated areas
- Ensure maximum flying height of 400 feet (122 metres) above ground level is not crossed
- Users must avoid flying over restricted areas listed on the UAE Drone app
- Only fly the drone during the day, and never at night
- Should have a live feed of the drone flight
- Drones must weigh 5 kg or less
The biog
Most memorable achievement: Leading my first city-wide charity campaign in Toronto holds a special place in my heart. It was for Amnesty International’s Stop Violence Against Women program and showed me the power of how communities can come together in the smallest ways to have such wide impact.
Favourite film: Childhood favourite would be Disney’s Jungle Book and classic favourite Gone With The Wind.
Favourite book: To Kill A Mockingbird for a timeless story on justice and courage and Harry Potters for my love of all things magical.
Favourite quote: “We make a living by what we get, but we make a life by what we give.” — Winston Churchill
Favourite food: Dim sum
Favourite place to travel to: Anywhere with natural beauty, wildlife and awe-inspiring sunsets.
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LIVING IN...
This article is part of a guide on where to live in the UAE. Our reporters will profile some of the country’s most desirable districts, provide an estimate of rental prices and introduce you to some of the residents who call each area home.
Cinco in numbers
Dh3.7 million
The estimated cost of Victoria Swarovski’s gem-encrusted Michael Cinco wedding gown
46
The number, in kilograms, that Swarovski’s wedding gown weighed.
1,000
The hours it took to create Cinco’s vermillion petal gown, as seen in his atelier [note, is the one he’s playing with in the corner of a room]
50
How many looks Cinco has created in a new collection to celebrate Ballet Philippines’ 50th birthday
3,000
The hours needed to create the butterfly gown worn by Aishwarya Rai to the 2018 Cannes Film Festival.
1.1 million
The number of followers that Michael Cinco’s Instagram account has garnered.
Financial considerations before buying a property
Buyers should try to pay as much in cash as possible for a property, limiting the mortgage value to as little as they can afford. This means they not only pay less in interest but their monthly costs are also reduced. Ideally, the monthly mortgage payment should not exceed 20 per cent of the purchaser’s total household income, says Carol Glynn, founder of Conscious Finance Coaching.
“If it’s a rental property, plan for the property to have periods when it does not have a tenant. Ensure you have enough cash set aside to pay the mortgage and other costs during these periods, ideally at least six months,” she says.
Also, shop around for the best mortgage interest rate. Understand the terms and conditions, especially what happens after any introductory periods, Ms Glynn adds.
Using a good mortgage broker is worth the investment to obtain the best rate available for a buyer’s needs and circumstances. A good mortgage broker will help the buyer understand the terms and conditions of the mortgage and make the purchasing process efficient and easier.
Profile of Bitex UAE
Date of launch: November 2018
Founder: Monark Modi
Based: Business Bay, Dubai
Sector: Financial services
Size: Eight employees
Investors: Self-funded to date with $1m of personal savings
Specs
Engine: Electric motor generating 54.2kWh (Cooper SE and Aceman SE), 64.6kW (Countryman All4 SE)
Power: 218hp (Cooper and Aceman), 313hp (Countryman)
Torque: 330Nm (Cooper and Aceman), 494Nm (Countryman)
On sale: Now
Price: From Dh158,000 (Cooper), Dh168,000 (Aceman), Dh190,000 (Countryman)
The specs
- Engine: 3.9-litre twin-turbo V8
- Power: 640hp
- Torque: 760nm
- On sale: 2026
- Price: Not announced yet
Kat Wightman's tips on how to create zones in large spaces
- Area carpets or rugs are the easiest way to segregate spaces while also unifying them.
- Lighting can help define areas. Try pendant lighting over dining tables, and side and floor lamps in living areas.
- Keep the colour palette the same in a room, but combine different tones and textures in different zone. A common accent colour dotted throughout the space brings it together.
- Don’t be afraid to use furniture to break up the space. For example, if you have a sofa placed in the middle of the room, a console unit behind it will give good punctuation.
- Use a considered collection of prints and artworks that work together to form a cohesive journey.
The specs
Engine: 1.6-litre 4-cyl turbo
Power: 217hp at 5,750rpm
Torque: 300Nm at 1,900rpm
Transmission: eight-speed auto
Price: from Dh130,000
On sale: now
MATCH INFO
Arsenal 1 (Aubameyang 12’) Liverpool 1 (Minamino 73’)
Arsenal win 5-4 on penalties
Man of the Match: Ainsley Maitland-Niles (Arsenal)
How to help
Send “thenational” to the following numbers or call the hotline on: 0502955999
2289 – Dh10
2252 – Dh 50
6025 – Dh20
6027 – Dh 100
6026 – Dh 200
EA Sports FC 26
Publisher: EA Sports
Consoles: PC, PlayStation 4/5, Xbox Series X/S
Rating: 3/5
