Detention of Johan Floderus

[15][19] Moreover, the election of conservative leader Ebrahim Raisi as President of Iran (succeeding to moderate Hassan Rouhani) in the summer of 2021 has been cited as another factor that fueled reciprocal mistrust between his administration and Western institutions.

[4][24][25] In April 2016, Ahmad Reza Djalali, an Iranian-Swedish doctor and researcher in disaster medicine, was arrested and charged with spying on Iranian's nuclear program for Israel, accusations he denied,[26][27] before being taken to the Evin Prison, where he reportedly faced repeated tortures and threats.

[25][30] Habib Chaab, an Iranian political activist who had founded and led the Arab Struggle Movement for the Liberation of Ahwaz,[24][36] before going on exile to Sweden in 2006,[37] was kidnapped in Turkey in October 2020 and smuggled to Iran;[36][37] there, he was accused of masterminding the 2018 Ahvaz military parade attack, which left 25 people killed.

[4][5] Starting in 2018, Floderus was involved in EU humanitarian missions in Iran,[22] taking part in projects that provided health and education services to Afghan refugees in the country.

[4][5][20] The diplomat was originally set to travel to Kabul on official EEAS duty: however, the mission was cancelled in the aftermath of the Taliban takeover in August 2021, and he continued working from the institution's headquarters in Brussels.

[47] In June 2023, Belgian aid worker Olivier Vandecasteele, who had just been released in a prisoner swap between Belgium and Iran (following 455 days in detention for alleged spying),[4][48] shared his testimony at a concert held in his honor in Brussels.

[48][49] During the public event, he reportedly referred to a Swedish man (who was later believed to be Floderus) he met as a cell-mate during their time at the Evin Prison,[4][5][6] saying quote, "We became like brothers: we promised each other that we would do everything for each other and whoever came out first would help each other’s family and loved ones".

[4] The diplomat's family subsequently confirmed the news through an official press statement sent to Swedish media,[4][50] thanking the people who were "working hard to free [Johan]" and hoping he could "come back home immediately".

[6][44][46] The New York Times noted that Floderus's case was peculiar due to his professional background,[1] which made him a high-value prisoner,[5] which could have an impact on diplomatic relations between Iran and Sweden.

[1] On the other hand, as reported by POLITICO, whilst Floderus was still affiliated with the EEAS and received unofficial support from his colleagues, the responsibility for diplomatic negotiations was delegated to Swedish consular services, since he was in Iran for personal reasons, rather than on an official visit, at the time of his arrest.

[54] Richard Ratcliffe, the husband of Nazanin Zaghari-Ratcliffe, also questioned the handling of the case by Sweden and the EU, saying that the arrest of Floderus was "a real escalation" and that "in [their] family's experience, publicity keeps hostages safe, because it limits the abuse that gets done to them.

[1][9][2] The conditions under which he was incarcerated were considered to be in violation of the United Nations' Standard Minimum Rules for the Treatment of Prisoners:[2][9] reportedly, among other aspects, he had been detained in solitary confinement for over 300 days and, more generally, held in a constantly fully-lit cell; he had been denied of "basic human rights", including minimum food and medical support; he had been permitted only three-and-a-half hours of exposure to fresh air and sunlight per week; he had been significantly restricted in receiving letters and books, or sending correspondence.

[1][2][9] On 7 August 2023, the diplomat had been granted his first video call with his family,[1][2] where he had reportedly made "a desperate plea", asking to raise efforts to free him and allow him to return home.

[22] On 17 April of the same year, which marked the second anniversary of the diplomat's arrest and detention, his family, friends and colleagues hosted a 12-hour vigil at the Gare Europe in Brussels as part of the #FreeJohanFloderus campaign.

[22][58] On 15 June 2024, Swedish Prime Minister Ulf Kristersson publicly announced that Floderus had been released from Iranian authorities, together with Iranian-Swedish dual citizen and fellow prisoner Saeed Azizi, while confirming that the two were set to return to Sweden in the following days.