Secretary of Iran’s High Council for Human Rights Kazem Gharibabadi on Monday called Sweden’s trial of ex-Iranian official Hamid Nouri “unlawful and unfair”.
Gharibabadi also called the trial a sham which is in violation of justice and human rights principles.
Nouri was arrested in 2019 upon arrival at Stockholm airport. His trial began in August last year. Recently, during a court session, Swedish prosecutors called for life imprisonment for Nouri over alleged human rights abuses.
Gharibabadi said that Nouri has been arrested based on false accusations and his detention is regarded as forced disappearance since his family was kept unaware of the arrest.
He added that the violent behavior toward Nouri during his arrest is the violation of the Vienna Convention on Consular Relations.
Also, he added, Sweden’s failure to inform the Iranian embassy and Nouri’s family of his whereabouts are other examples of inhumane measures against him.
Gharibabadi said that Nouri’s family was denied the right to meet him for two years after his arrest, despite repeated attempts, and that he was kept in solitary confinement over this period. “That amounts to a violation of human rights,” he added.
The Iranian official added, “Swedish prosecutors’ failure to carry out independent investigations and their move to issue criminal charges against Nouri, based on unfounded remarks by some members of the terrorist Mujahedin-e-Khalq Organization (MKO), as well as denying him a lawyer are another evidence indicating that his trial is a show that pursues political purposes.”
Gharibabadi noted that the Swedish government should also be accountable for the medical negligence as well as torturing and long solitary confinement of Nouri.
The Iranian judiciary official also denounced the Swedish government for supporting terror groups like MKO and said that Sweden has now turned into a safe place for hosting terrorists.
“It is now time for Sweden to decide whether it wants to stand by terrorists or abide by its international obligations to counter terror groups,” Gharibabadi noted.
He called on the Iranian judicial authorities to bring to justice the people who conduct acts of terror against Iran and are backed by Sweden.