The trial of Johan Floderus, a Swedish national employed by the European Union, has begun in Tehran. Floderus was arrested at Tehran airport in April last year and charged with operating through US and European projects. The 33-year-old diplomat was taken into custody in 2022 while on vacation in Iran. His family has stated that he was detained without due process, with Sweden and the EU asserting his innocence.
Floderus, a 33-year-old official, was arrested in Tehran in April 2022 while on holiday. Iran announced three months later that it had arrested a Swedish national on espionage charges but did not name him. His identity was also kept secret by the EU and Sweden’s government.
Josep Borrell, the EU’s foreign affairs chief, has demanded the immediate release of Johan Floderus, stating that there are no valid reasons for his continued detention. Tobias Billström, Sweden’s foreign minister, stated: “There is no basis whatsoever for keeping Johan Floderus in detention, let alone bringing him to trial.”
Floderus’s family meanwhile said in a statement that they were “deeply worried”. He had visited Iran previously on official EU business without incident but was detained after going on holiday there with Swedish friends. Mr Floderus is believed to be held at Tehran’s Evin prison, the country’s most prominent incarceration facility for political prisoners and dissidents.
The father of Johan Floderus, Matts Floderus, has revealed the levels of hell his son has experienced, as his family and employers step up their fight for his release. Johan Floderus on Friday will have been incarcerated for 600 days in Tehran’s Evin prison. “Today is International Human Rights Day, and on this day, we demand the release of Johan. Today makes 602 days since he has been illegally detained,” an advocacy group called Free Johan Floderus posted on X. The group is made up of Floderus’ family and friends.
Matts Floderus, Johan’s father, stated that “We are deeply worried and say this over and over again. He has been arbitrarily detained. He has done nothing wrong and should be freed and allowed to leave the country.”
The trial of Floderus is the latest in a series of cases involving foreign nationals accused of spying by Iran, which has been under intense pressure from the US and its allies over its nuclear programme and regional activities. Iran has often used such detainees as bargaining chips in negotiations with other countries. The EU and Sweden have called for Floderus’s immediate and unconditional release, saying that he is innocent and that his detention is a violation of international law.
Relevant articles:
– Iran accuses Swedish EU diplomat of crime that carries the death penalty
– Iran Starts Trial of Swedish EU Employee Detained in 2022
– Iran begins trial of Swedish EU employee accused of ‘spying for Israel’
– Iran begins trial of Swedish EU diplomat detained for spying