Iran Condemns Swedish Court Ruling against Hamid Nouri
TEHRAN (Tasnim) – The spokesman for the Foreign Ministry of Iran strongly condemned the ruling by a Swedish appeals court that has upheld a life sentence imposed on former Iranian official Hamid Nouri, saying the verdict is totally unacceptable.
Denouncing the Swedish court's ruling, Foreign Ministry Spokesperson Nasser Kanaani said on Tuesday, "The Islamic Republic of Iran considers the verdict issued by the initial and appellate courts against Hamid Nouri, an Iranian citizen, to be fundamentally unacceptable and therefore strongly condemns it."
"It is regrettable that the Swedish court, without considering the standards of a fair trial, has chosen to pronounce such a destructive judgment," he added.
"Unfortunately, the Swedish judicial system, by aligning with terrorist groups involved in heinous acts against the people of Iran, Iraq, and even Europe for decades, jeopardizes the interests of both nations and the long-standing, historical relations between the two countries," the spokesman added, the Foreign Ministry’s website reported.
"The Islamic Republic of Iran, in fulfilling its inherent duties to defend the rights of its citizens, has utilized all legal capacities and resources to liberate the citizen in question from injustice and will persist in its efforts until the complete realization of the rights of its citizens," he underlined.
"The Islamic Republic of Iran reserves its right to take appropriate measures,” the spokesman added.
On Tuesday, Sweden’s Svea Court of Appeal said in a statement that it “affirmed the judgment... in significant parts” that had been given to Hamid Nouri in July 2022 for his alleged role in cases of human rights violations in Iran.
It described the case brought against Nouri in the initial court proceedings as “robust” and “correct.”
The verdict comes four years after Nouri was arrested at a Stockholm airport based on complaints filed by anti-Iranian groups in Sweden for his alleged role in the death of prisoners in Iran in the 1980s.
Nouri and his defense team have vehemently denied the charges while the Iranian authorities have repeatedly said that the case has been based on political motives.
The arrest and sentencing of Nouri has also affected political relations between Iran and Sweden while it has stirred anti-Sweden sentiment in Iran.