Iran is willing to carry out prisoner exchange with Belgium

Iran is willing to carry out a possible prisoner exchange with Belgium. This was reported by the Iranian Foreign Ministry. The Belgian Constitutional Court rejected the appeal against the Iran deal at the end of last week. The Belgian Olivier Vandecasteele from Oostduinkerke, who has been imprisoned in an Iranian cell for more than a year, could thus be released.

“With the decision of the Belgian Constitutional Court, we can say that the way is open to implement the agreement, which welcomes the Islamic Republic of Iran,” said Nasser Kanani, spokesman for the Iranian foreign ministry.

He referred to the treaty between Belgium and Iran on the transfer of prisoners, which has been controversial since its publication last summer.

The court on Friday rejected the appeal against the treaty, which was suspended in December 2022.

Olivier Vandecasteele could be exchanged for the Iranian sham diplomat Assadolah Assadi. He was sentenced to 20 years in prison in our country in 2021 for his role in a thwarted terrorist attack in Paris.

“We have repeatedly said that his arrest, interrogation, trial and conviction were illegal and in violation of the Vienna Convention on Diplomatic Immunity,” Kanani said of Assadi. “We have said that he must be released unconditionally and that compensation must be paid. “With the recent change, we hope that there will be an opening in the case of this diplomat,” Kanani concluded.

“Iran will take more Westerners hostage and commit terrorist crimes”

The ‘National Council of resistance of Iran'(NCRI) warned the Belgian government last weekend about the risks of a possible prisoner exchange between Vandecasteele and Assadi. According to Aladdin Touran of the NCRI, the Iranian regime will start using the technique of taking people hostage more often.

The matter is “simple,” Touran argues. “If Assadi, who planned the bloodiest terrorist crime in Europe, is now exchanged for an innocent hostage, the Iranian regime will conclude that it can take more Westerners hostage and commit more terrorist crimes,” it said. The NCRI announced late last week that it will challenge a possible transfer of Assadi in court.


The author: Clémentine FORISSIER

Clémentine Forissier, a youthful journalist hailing from Brussels, has been making waves in the field of media. Despite her relatively young age, she has quickly risen to prominence as a prominent voice in Belgian journalism. Known for her fresh perspective and dynamic reporting, Clémentine has become a recognized figure in the Brussels media scene, offering insightful coverage of various topics.

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