Iran has rejected Sweden's offer for a prisoner exchange deal that would lead to the release of Ahmadra Jelly, a Swedish citizen of Iranian descent who was convicted of spying for Israel and sentenced to death, the Iranian news agency Tassanim reported today (Tuesday).
Judiciary spokesman for Iran, Zabidullah Khodayan, told a news conference in Tehran that the Swedish proposal to release Hamid Nuri, a senior Iranian prisoner accused of crimes against humanity in a Stockholm court, was unacceptable to the Tehran authorities.
"The two cases are not related or similar in any way. Therefore, no deal is possible," the Iranian jurist said at a news conference in Tehran.
Ahmadra Jelly was sentenced to death in 2017 after being convicted of spying for Israel.
The verdict alleges that the academic provided the Mossad with information about the identities and whereabouts of two Iranian nuclear scientists and that he acted to obtain a classified from outside Iran's territory.
Iran's refusal to release the scientist may indicate Tehran's intention to try to squeeze further concessions from Sweden or its allies, especially in light of the recent acceleration in negotiations for a nuclear deal.
On Friday, the Swedish Foreign Ministry announced that another Swedish citizen had been arrested on charges of spying for Israel in Iran and asked its citizens to refrain from reaching the Islamic Republic.
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