Iran’s prosecutor general slams gross rights violations in Hamid Nouri’s detention in Sweden

Iran’s Prosecutor General Mohammad-Ja’far Montazeri has urged Sweden to investigate the “illegal behaviors” of Swedish authorities in arresting and detaining Iranian national Hamid Nouri, saying gross human rights violations can be seen in his detention and trial.

In a letter to his Swedish counterpart, Montazeri enumerated some of the measures taken by the relevant Swedish authorities that violated human rights principles, urging the court of appeal to investigate the cases and observe Nouri’s right to a fair trial.

He said prosecutors are duty-bound to safeguard public rights, defend the safety of the society, establish justice and provide the necessary conditions for defendants to defend themselves.

“People should not be prosecuted without sufficient reasons and documents, and even if there are grounds for suspecting a crime, the necessary reasons for an unimpeded defense should be provided so that the defendant can prove his innocence,” he said.

Montazeri said Swedish forces had used violence to arrest Nouri and kept his family and the Iranian embassy unaware of his whereabouts.

“He was detained in solitary confinement for a long time, was denied consular access, was beaten and tortured by prison officers, and did not have access to a doctor, all of which prove a gross violation of the basic rights of every defendant,” he said.

Relations between Tehran and Stockholm have been tense since Sweden detained and put on trial ex-Iranian official Hamid Nouri on unfounded allegations made by the Mujahedin-e-Khalq Organization (MKO) terrorist group.

Nouri was arrested upon arrival in Sweden at Stockholm Airport in November 2019 and was immediately imprisoned.

His accusers allege Nouri was involved in the execution and torture of MKO members in 1988, but he has vehemently rejected the allegation.

Back in July, a Swedish court sentenced Nouri to life imprisonment. The court, which was described by Iran as illegal in the first place, convicted Nouri of war crimes and crimes against humanity based on the MKO allegations.

Iranian citizen in Sweden jail objects to his detention conditions

Hamid Nouri says despite a judicial order to lift restrictions on him, he is still being held in solitary confinement.

In his letter, Montazeri protested the fact that members of the MKO, which is responsible for the killing of thousands of Iranian nationals, were used as witnesses.

They also gathered outside the court and shouted slogans, influencing the judges psychologically to sentence Nouri to life in prison, he said.

“Numerous formal and substantive problems can be seen in the handling of Hamid Nouri’s case by the prosecutor’s office and the Swedish judicial system, including the lack of jurisdiction of the court, the issuance of a political statement, and your false claim that the Iranian government did not cooperate despite repeated requests,” Montazeri added.

The senior Iranian judge further called for a fair and just trial for Nouri so that he can defend himself and in a way that the judges are not under the pressure of MKO elements.

He pledged to use all the legal possibilities to prove the flagrant violation of Nouri’s rights and challenge his “invalid sentence” that “violates basic international laws until the full realization of his rights.”

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