Sweden is appealing the trial against the 1980s Iranian war crimes
STOCKHOLM (AP) — The appeals trial of an Iranian citizen sentenced to life in prison by a Swedish court for war crimes and murder during the 1980s Iran-Iraq war began Wednesday in Stockholm.
Hamid Noury was sentenced to life in prison for participating in serious atrocities in July and August 1988 while working as an assistant to the deputy prosecutor at Gohardasht prison outside the Iranian city of Karaj.
Throughout last year’s trial, Noury denied wrongdoing and Iran called the court a “show” based on political motives.
On Wednesday, despite heavy rain, two dozen people opposed to the Iranian government demonstrated outside the appeals court in suburban Stockholm, which is due to hand down its verdict later this year.
The development comes at a tense time for Tehran.
Iran has sentenced a Belgian aid worker to a long prison term and caning after convicting him of espionage in a closed trial. Over the years, Iran has jailed a number of foreigners and dual nationals, charging them with espionage or other state security crimes and convicting them after secret trials that advocacy groups say are being denied due process.
Anti-government protests have roiled Iran for months after 22-year-old Mahsa Amini was killed in police custody, who was arrested for violating Iran’s strict Islamic dress code. Under the slogan “Women, Life, Freedom”, the protesters say they are fed up with decades of social and political oppression. Iran has blamed the protests on foreign powers, without providing evidence.