TEHRAN (Iran News) –In a statement on Saturday, Nasser Kanaani said the liberation of Nouri, who had been imprisoned by Sweden under a plot masterminded by the Zionist regime and carried out by the terrorist Mujahedin-e-Khalq Organization (MKO), has manifested Iran’s “diplomacy of might” in the fulfillment of its national interests and supporting the rights of Iranian citizens.

The Iranian national, who had been held in Sweden under an illegal verdict by an illegitimate Swedish court, has been released after unwavering political, judicial, and consular efforts by the Iranian Foreign Ministry, Judiciary and other organizations, he said.

Kanaani also paid tribute to late Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi and Foreign Minister Hossein Amirabdollahian for their endeavors in this regard.

He noted that Hamid Nouri has returned home after 1,680 days of imprisonment, which he said was indescribable and in violation of the principle of human rights.

The spokesman also thanked the Sultanate of Oman for facilitating the release of Nouri, giving an assurance that the Foreign Ministry will keep up efforts to ensure the release of other Iranian citizens jailed abroad.

Former Iranian official Hamid Nouri was arrested immediately upon his arrival at the Stockholm Airport in 2019. Swedish authorities alleged that he was involved in the execution and torture of the MKO members in 1988. He vehemently rejects the allegations.

In July 2022, 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 allegations leveled by the MKO terrorist cult.

A statement from the public prosecutor said the court sentenced Sheikh Ali Salman, opposition al-Wefaq group secretary general, and Sheikh Hassan Sultan and Ali Alaswad, members of the same group, to life in jail, Reuters reported.

The senior Bahraini Shiite cleric has been in jail on a nine-year prison sentence since late 2014 for what the Manama regime has called “insulting” government officials, “inciting” unrest through his speeches targeting the authorities during the 2011 uprising, attempting to overthrow the regime and collaborating with foreign powers.

Sheikh Salman denies all the charges, saying he has merely been seeking reforms in the country through peaceful means.

Amnesty International and other human rights groups have already censured his arrest and called for his release.

Thousands of anti-regime protesters have held demonstrations in Bahrain on an almost daily basis ever since a popular uprising began in the country in mid-February 2011.

They are demanding that the Al Khalifa dynasty relinquish power and allow a just system representing all Bahrainis to be established.

Manama has gone to great lengths to clamp down on any sign of dissent. On March 14, 2011, troops from Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates were deployed to assist Bahrain in its crackdown.

Scores of people have lost their lives and hundreds of others sustained injuries or got arrested as a result of the Al Khalifa regime’s crackdown.

“The conviction of (Abdol-Rasool) Dorri Najaf Abadi on charges of spying for foreign intelligence services and leaking information have been upheld,” Ejei said speaking at a press conference in Tehran.

Back in May, the judiciary spokesman had announced that Dorri Najaf Abadi had been sentenced to a prison term, but added that he could not provide details since the verdict could be appealed.

He added that Dorri Najaf Abadi holds a dual citizenship and is convicted on charges of spying for two foreign intelligence services.

The final verdict was upheld after his case was reviewed by an appeals court, Ejei added.

The news of arrest of the former member of the negotiating team was first announced by the Judiciary spokesperson in August 2016.

Described by the Judiciary spokesman as a spy who had infiltrated into the nuclear team, he was initially released on bail, but now has to serve a five-year prison term.

Iran’s nuclear negotiators and representatives of the Group 5+1 (Russia, China, the US, Britain, France and Germany) held several rounds of talks over a period of 22 months before they reached an agreement on Tehran’s  peaceful nuclear program in July 2015.