Iran is recalling envoys from Sweden over Hamid Nouri’s life sentence for war crimes
Iran has recalled its ambassador from Sweden for the life sentence handed down to an Iranian citizen this month for war crimes and murder.
Iranian Press TV quoted Foreign Ministry spokesman Nasser Kanani as saying that Ambassador Ahmad Masoumifar was called home for “consultations in protest of the illegal statement and verdict issued in Sweden against Hamid Nouri, which is based on unfounded, distorted and fabricated accusations”.
The Stockholm District Court ruled that Nouri, 61, was involved in serious abuses in July and August 1988 while working as an assistant prosecutor at the Gohardasht prison on the outskirts of the Iranian city of Karaj.
The court said he took part in “the executions of many political prisoners” in Iran that summer.
Amnesty International has estimated the number executed on government orders at around 5,000, and says in a report from 2018 that the actual number may be higher. Iran has never acknowledged the killings.
Nouri denied any wrongdoing throughout the trial, which Iran called a “show” based on political motives.
He is the only person facing trial for a purge aimed at members of the Iranian people’s Mujahideen, who fought in parts of Iran, and other political dissidents.
The development comes at a tense time for the ties between Stockholm and Tehran. A number of Europeans have been detained in Iran in recent months, including a Swedish tourist, two French citizens, a Polish scientist and others.
Prisoners are raising concerns that Iran hopes to use the prisoners to put pressure on the United States and European nations in the negotiations to restore the 2015 nuclear deal, which granted the country relief from sanctions in exchange for restrictions on its nuclear activities.
Nouri was arrested at Stockholm Airport in November 2019 when he arrived on a tourist trip.
In a separate development, Iran convened Argentina’s charge d’affaires in Tehran, following the travel ban imposed by Buenos Aires on five Iranian flight crew members after their plane landed in the South American nation in June.
Prosecutors in Argentina said they had launched an investigation into whether the crew members – 14 Venezuelans and five Iranians – had any links to international terrorism or other illegal activity.
Iran denies the allegations and considers the travel ban a violation of crew rights.
Updated: July 21, 2022, 2:09 p.m.