The shocking release of former Iranian prison official Hamid Nouri, sentenced to life imprisonment by a Swedish court in relation to his role in the 1988 prison massacres, following a prisoner exchange deal between Iran and Sweden, is a stunning blow to survivors and relatives of victims and contributes to the crisis of impunity in Iran. The circumstances of Hamid Nouri’s pardon by the Swedish government and his return to Iran confirm Amnesty International’s earlier concerns that the Iranian authorities have been holding Swedish nationals hostage to swap them for Hamid Nouri. Amnesty International shares the relief and joy of the families, friends and supporters of Swedish nationals Johan Floderus and Saeed Azizi, who returned home on 15 June 2024 after being subjected to a litany of human rights violations in Iran; and the organization has long advocated for the immediate release of all foreign and dual nationals held as hostages or otherwise arbitrary detained in Iran.
