Video: Iranian diplomat who planned attack on dissidents sentenced to 20 years in prison in Belgium (Photo: Reuters)
Iran and Belgium held a prisoner exchange deal in Oman on Friday, mediating between the two countries. Belgium released an Iranian diplomat convicted of planning an attack at a rally of Iranian exiles in France, and Tehran traded him as a Belgian aid worker.
Iranian television reported the release of diplomat Asadollah Assadi, who was convicted in 2021 of planning an attack on a gathering of the Iranian opposition in exile in France in 2018. He was sentenced to 20 years in prison, becoming the first Iranian official to stand trial on European soil for terrorism offenses since the Islamic Revolution.
Belgian Prime Minister Alexander De Croo said in a statement that aid worker Olivier Vandextil had been transported to Oman overnight. He was received by a team of Belgian diplomats and military personnel, and underwent medical examinations.
"Olivier spent 455 days in jail in Tehran. Under intolerable conditions, when he is innocent," said the Belgian prime minister, describing his compatriot's return to the country as "a relief for his family, friends and colleagues."
Supporters of the Iranian opposition outside a court in Antwerp, Belgium, February 4, 2021 (Photo: Reuters)
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