WORLD
Iran diplomat jailed in Belgium to be freed in swap – Iran
On Wednesday, Iran’s judicial spokeswoman announced the release of a 20-year-old diplomat in Belgium.
Belgium and we have demanded an exchange for our diplomat Asadollah Assadi. Masoud Setayeshi, the spokeswoman, indicated an exchange would occur soon.
In March, Belgium’s Constitutional Court upheld a prisoner exchange arrangement with Iran that might swap Assadi for a Belgian humanitarian worker.
Belgium requested that Iran release Olivier Vandecasteele, a detained humanitarian worker, last week under the prisoner transfer pact.
Assadi was sentenced to 20 years in 2021 for a 2018 Paris bomb plot against an Iranian dissident group.
Vandecasteele was captured in Iran in February 2022 and sentenced to 40 years in jail and 74 lashes for spying.
Belgium denied Vandecasteele’s imprisonment multiple times.
The justice minister stated he was convicted “for a fabricated series of crimes” to avenge Assadi’s imprisonment.
Iran considers the exiled National Council of Resistance of Iran, a terrorist group, a “false flag” for accusing Assadi of a Paris assault.