Sweden’s foreign minister on Monday insisted that Tehran grant Swedish consular officials access to the trial of Johan Floderus, an EU diplomat held in Iran for more than 600 days.
Johan Floderus, a 33-year-old EU diplomat, was arrested in Tehran on April 17, 2022, accused of conspiring with Israel and facing charges of corruption on earth, a grave offense in Iran that carries a potential death penalty.
“The important thing in this situation is to protect the interests of Johan Floderus and our top priority is to make sure that a Swedish person from the embassy is allowed to be present at the trial so we can make sure that he gets a fair trial,” Tobias Billstrom told reporters as he arrived at an EU foreign ministers meeting in Brussels.
Billstrom urged the Iranian regime to release Floderus, asserting that the charges were unfounded
Floderus’s trial began behind closed doors, prompting diplomatic efforts to address the situation and seek a resolution.
“It is worth noting that we consider all these charges unfounded and false, and we urge the Iranian regime to release Mr.Floderus so he can be reunited with his family as soon as possible,” Billstrom said.
EU’s high representative for foreign affairs, Josep Borrell, has urged the immediate release of Johan Floderus, emphasizing that there are no justifiable grounds for his continued detention.
Floderus is currently held in Tehran’s notorious Evin prison. The call for his release adds to international pressure seeking a fair and transparent resolution to the case, with concerns raised about the charges and the conditions of his imprisonment.
No date has been given for the resumption of his trial.
