The European Union’s top foreign policy chief, Josep Borrell, has once again urged Iran to release a Swedish EU diplomat who has been held in Tehran’s notorious Evin prison since his arrest on April 17, 2022. The diplomat, Johan Floderus, is currently on trial. Swedish foreign minister Tobias Billstrom confirmed that the trial had commenced. Borrell has persistently called for the diplomat’s immediate release and has raised the case with Iranian authorities on multiple occasions. The EU is seeking clarification and more information from Iran, in close coordination with the Swedish authorities.

In September, Iran’s judiciary accused Floderus of committing crimes in the country. However, Borrell has stated that the diplomat is innocent and that there are no grounds for his continued detention. Several governments, human rights groups, and families of foreign passport holders detained by Iran have accused the country of engaging in ‘hostage diplomacy,’ using detentions as leverage to extract concessions from other nations.

This development comes amid another incident involving Iran’s restrictions on travel. The family of Mahsa Amini, an Iranian Kurdish woman who died in custody last year, was prevented from traveling to France to collect a posthumous rights prize awarded to Amini. The family, including Amini’s parents and brother, were blocked from boarding a flight to attend a European Parliament ceremony. These incidents further highlight concerns about Iran’s human rights practices and its treatment of foreign nationals.

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