Sweden’s Minister of Foreign Affairs Tobias Billstrom has acknowledged oversight in travel advisories concerning Iran after a prisoner swap deal involving convicted Iranian Hamid Nouri, released in exchange for Swedish EU diplomat Johan Floderus and Swedish-Iranian citizen Saeid Azizi.
A decision to advise against travel to Iran was made only after Johan Floderus’ detention in Iran and a broader advisory against all travel was issued later.
Whjat is described as a lapse in guidance raised questions about safety and security of Swedish citizens in Iran, particularly in light of past detentions of dual nationals.
Minister Tobias Billstrom said “a travel advisory to Iran was not in place when Johan Floderus went there. A decision to advise against all non-essential travel to Iran was made only on April 28, 2022, which was eleven days after Johan Floderus was detained in Iran. Subsequently, on June 23, 2022, a broader advisory against all travel to Iran was issued.”
Amnesty International warned of Iran’s threats to execute Ahmadreza Djalali in response to Nouri’s prosecution: “State media articles published on May 4, 2022, provide further evidence that the Iranian authorities are using Ahmadreza Jalali’s life as a bargaining chip to pervert the course of justice in Sweden and compel Swedish authorities to release Hamid Nouri. Sweden failed to issue a warning to its citizens until it was too late. Johan Floderus, an individual working for the Swedish foreign service decided for personal reasons to visit Iran and was arrested by the notorious intelligence organisation of the Revolutionary Guard.”
