Iran: Belgium calls on detained nationals to leave the country because of “risks of detention”
Belgium warned its nationals in Iran on Sunday. In a press release, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs called on Belgians “passing through” the country to leave the territory “as soon as possible” because of “accumulated risks of arbitrary detention” after the conviction of the humanitarian Olivier Vandecasteele.
“Any Belgian visitor, including binationals, exposes themselves to a high risk of arrest, personal injury and unfair judgment. This risk also concerns people making a simple tourist stay in Iran,” the ministry warned. Two hundred Belgian nationals were registered by the Belgian consular services in Iran this summer.
“In the event of arrest or detention, respect for fundamental rights and personal security are not guaranteed. In this context, the capacity of the Belgian embassy in Tehran to provide consular protection for nationals arrested or detained in Iran is very limited,” the ministry explained.
Arm wrestling since the arrest of an Iranian diplomat
“Belgian nationals who, despite this warning, are currently in Iran, are invited to show the greatest vigilance and to take the necessary precautions to ensure their safety. New, a Belgian national and several other developers were arbitrarily arrested and are now imprisoned in Iran,” the ministry said.
A Belgian humanitarian, Olivier Vandecasteele, held in solitary confinement in Iran since his arrest on February 24, was sentenced to 28 years in prison. According to his family, he was arrested for no reason and no indication has been provided by the Iranian authorities on the charges against him. A showdown has pitted Belgium and Iran since the arrest of an Iranian diplomat, Assadollah Assadi, sentenced in Belgium in 2021 to twenty years in prison for a “terrorist” attack project against Iranian opposition.
The Belgian Constitutional Court on Thursday suspended a treaty for the transfer of convicts between Belgium and Iran adopted in July by Parliament to allow the return of humanitarian aid following numerous appeals from Iranian opponents in exile. Olivier Vandecasteele’s sister denounced the “unspeakable psychological torture” suffered by her brother, “innocent hostage of a legal and political battle” granted to Iran and Belgium.