BRUSSELS: Belgian Prime Minister Alexander De Croo said Friday that Tehran freed one Danish and two Austrian-Iranian nationals after mediation by the government of Oman.
The prime minister said they were being shifted to Belgium, AFP reported.
The Danish PM said that he had apprised the governments of Austria and Denmark about the development, which came a week after Iran released a Belgian aid worker in exchange for an Iranian envoy who was convicted by the court.
Tehran Frees Danish, Austrian Nationals
Austria reacted with relief, naming the two released Austrian-Iranian men, identified as Massud Mossaheb and Kamran Ghaderi, who had been captured “unjustly” by Tehran in 2016 and 2019.
Thanking Brussels, Foreign Minister of Austria Alexander Schallenberg said their years of diplomatic efforts to release had borne fruit. The foreign minister said,” Today is an emotional day for us.”
However, the Danish citizen was not identified by the authorities, and he was arrested in Iran in November 2022, De Croo said. The Prime Minister said that Belgium is presently organizing their evacuation through Oman to Belgium” after medical text and examinations.
AFP reported that the Danish and Austrian citizens will land at the Melsbroek army airport in Brussels, where Belgian FM Hadja Lahbib would receive them. De Croo said that the government “continues to fight for the release of European nationals “unjustly arrested by Tehran”. However, Iran has yet to confirm the release of three European citizens.
The Foreign Minister of Austria said, “We are happy for the families who have suffered so much recently. Now they can eventually embrace their families in freedom.”
The Gulf country Oman has emerged as a key interlocutor between Iran and the West. In 2016, Oman also mediated in the release of reporter Jason Rezaian and three other US nationals who had been held by Iran. -AFP
