Johan Floderus has been held in Iran for more than 500 days. Photo: Twitter
Johan Floderus has been held in Iran for more than 500 days. Photo: Twitter
Johan Floderus has been held in Iran for more than 500 days. Photo: Twitter
Johan Floderus has been held in Iran for more than 500 days. Photo: Twitter

Tehran accuses jailed Swedish man of 'committing crimes' in Iran


Tariq Tahir
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Iran said on Monday a Swedish man it has imprisoned had "committed crimes" in the Islamic republic.

A spokesman for Iran’s judiciary Massoud Satayshi has now said "the Swedish citizen has committed crimes in the territory of the Islamic Republic of Iran” adding that he was sent "to prison with a legal order”.

Mr Satayshi said the results of a full investigation into his case made by the prosecutor's office "will be sent in the coming days to a competent court".

Last week, the European Union said Johan Floderus, who had been working in Tehran for the bloc, had been detained illegally in Iran for more than 500 days.

EU foreign policy chief Josep Borrell recently said Brussels was pushing “relentlessly” for the release of 33-year-old Mr Floderus.

Mr Floderus was arrested on April 17, 2022 at Tehran's airport as he was returning home from a trip with friends.

His family recently urged the international community to help secure his release and said held without formal charges at Tehran's Evin prison, where political prisoners and detainees facing security charges, including Iranians with dual nationality, are jailed.

"The family, friends, and supporters of Johan are calling for urgent international attention to secure his immediate release and safe return to Europe," the family wrote on a website dedicated to his release, on his 33rd birthday.

His family said Mr Floderus had travelled throughout the Middle East to study languages, explore historic sites and to support humanitarian cooperation projects in Iran on behalf of the EU.

"His needs for adequate food rations, outside walks, medical checkups and much more are not respected (in jail)," his family wrote, adding that he had been denied "communicating" with Sweden's embassy in Tehran, except a few consular visits.

They said that starting in February 2023 Mr Floderus was restricted to making short phone calls once a month.

"He had to go on hunger strike to be allowed to make several of these calls, which have to be in English and monitored."

Iran arrested Mr Floderus in the hope of exchanging him with an Iranian citizen, Hamid Noury, who has been detained in Sweden, the Scandinavian country's Aftonbladet paper reported.

Noury received a life jail term for his role in the Iranian regime's 1988 mass executions of thousands of opponents, prompting Iran to recall its envoy to Sweden in protest.

In May, Iran executed a Swedish-Iranian dissident, Habib Chaad, convicted of leading an Arab separatist group Tehran blames for a number of attacks including one on a military parade in 2018 that killed 25 people.

The burning issue

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Part three: an affection for classic cars lives on

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The five pillars of Islam

1. Fasting

2. Prayer

3. Hajj

4. Shahada

5. Zakat 

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Milestones on the road to union

1970

October 26: Bahrain withdraws from a proposal to create a federation of nine with the seven Trucial States and Qatar. 

December: Ahmed Al Suwaidi visits New York to discuss potential UN membership.

1971

March 1:  Alex Douglas Hume, Conservative foreign secretary confirms that Britain will leave the Gulf and “strongly supports” the creation of a Union of Arab Emirates.

July 12: Historic meeting at which Sheikh Zayed and Sheikh Rashid make a binding agreement to create what will become the UAE.

July 18: It is announced that the UAE will be formed from six emirates, with a proposed constitution signed. RAK is not yet part of the agreement.

August 6:  The fifth anniversary of Sheikh Zayed becoming Ruler of Abu Dhabi, with official celebrations deferred until later in the year.

August 15: Bahrain becomes independent.

September 3: Qatar becomes independent.

November 23-25: Meeting with Sheikh Zayed and Sheikh Rashid and senior British officials to fix December 2 as date of creation of the UAE.

November 29:  At 5.30pm Iranian forces seize the Greater and Lesser Tunbs by force.

November 30: Despite  a power sharing agreement, Tehran takes full control of Abu Musa. 

November 31: UK officials visit all six participating Emirates to formally end the Trucial States treaties

December 2: 11am, Dubai. New Supreme Council formally elects Sheikh Zayed as President. Treaty of Friendship signed with the UK. 11.30am. Flag raising ceremony at Union House and Al Manhal Palace in Abu Dhabi witnessed by Sheikh Khalifa, then Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi.

December 6: Arab League formally admits the UAE. The first British Ambassador presents his credentials to Sheikh Zayed.

December 9: UAE joins the United Nations.

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Updated: December 11, 2023, 5:25 AM`