Sweden Asks About Detained Citizen in Iran

Sweden and the European Commission announced on Monday that a Swedish citizen is being held in Iran, marking the latest known instance of a foreign citizen's detention in the Islamic Republic amid political tensions with the West. The New York Times reported earlier on Monday that a Swedish citizen has been detained in Iran for over 500 days and that he is working for the diplomatic body of the European Union. The Swedish Foreign Ministry stated, "A Swedish citizen, a man in his thirties, has been detained in Iran since April 2022," adding, "The Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the Swedish Embassy in Tehran are intensifying their efforts in the case and remain in close communication with the European Union." Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesman Nasser Kanani, when asked about the report, indicated he was unaware of the situation. Sweden and the European Union have not disclosed the identity of the man. The Swedish Foreign Ministry commented, "In our estimation, public discussions by the ministry complicate handling the case. In light of this, we do not see the need to announce any names." Relations between Sweden and Iran have soured since 2019 when Stockholm detained a former Iranian official for his role in a mass execution and torture of political prisoners in the 1980s. He was sentenced to life in prison last year, prompting Iran to summon its ambassador to Sweden in protest. In May, Iran executed a Swedish-Iranian opposition figure convicted of leading an Arab separatist group that Iran blames for an attack that targeted a military parade in 2018, resulting in the deaths of 25 people.