A senior Iranian Judiciary official has slammed the unexpected and surprising behavior by the Swedish appeals court toward Hamid Nouri, who has been imprisoned in Sweden on baseless charges, denouncing the degrading treatment meted out to the Iranian national as a black stain on the European country’s legal, judicial and human rights records.
Kazem Gharibabadi, Secretary of Iran’s High Council for Human Rights and Judiciary Chief’s Deputy for international affairs, said, “Ever since Hamid Nouri was arrested, put on trial and handed down a sentence, the Swedish government and judiciary have frequently violated his rights one way or another.”
“Nouri did not stand a fair trial, and was not allowed to stay in touch and visit his family for several months. Additionally, he faced difficulties in acquiring a criminal defense attorney and his prison conditions were fairly harsh,” Gharibabadi told IRIB News.
The top Iranian rights official said it took more than a year for Nouri’s case to be handled, stressing that the Swedish judiciary did not have any evidence to level against him.
Following the ruling against Nouri and his request of appeal, Swedish judicial officials have rejected some of the lawyers whom he introduced and ordered him to name others.
“They would have kicked up a political uproar and commotion, if the Iranian Judiciary had taken a similar measure,” Gharibabadi said.
Gharibabadi added that even though Sweden portrays itself as an advocate of human rights, it has rejected Nouri’s lawyers under false excuses.
“It is also regrettable that the Swedish Judiciary has unfairly allotted the time to defense. While the so-called plaintiffs, who are members of a terrorist groups, and their lawyers were granted 30 hours to bring their cases, Nouri and his lawyers received only 12 hours for defense. This trial is not fair as there is no equality in the right to defense,” the senior Iranian official said.
“We call upon the Swedish government and its judiciary not to violate the Iranian citizen’s rights anymore and to administer justice,” he stated.
A fresh set of trial hearings for Nouri, who was detained upon his arrival at Stockholm Airport three years ago, started on Wednesday in a Swedish court.
Swedish authorities alleged, based on statements made by the Mujahedin-e-Khalq Organization (MKO), that he had been involved in the execution and torture of the members of the anti-Iran terrorist cult in 1988. The Iranian victim vehemently rejects the allegations.
In July, a Swedish court sentenced Nouri to life imprisonment. The court, which was described by Iranian officials as illegal, convicted Nouri of so-called war crimes and crimes against humanity, based on the MKO’s allegations.
Nouri has been kept in solitary confinement throughout the entire period of his incarceration.
He has also been denied legal representation and forbidden from contacting his family during the same period.
