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DUBAI, United Arab Emirates (AP) — Iran has sentenced a Belgian assistance idiosyncratic to a lengthy situation word and 74 lashes aft convicting him of espionage successful a closed-door trial, authorities media reported Tuesday.
The website of Iran’s judiciary said a Revolutionary Court sentenced 41-year-old Olivier Vandecasteele to 12.5 years successful situation for espionage, 12.5 years for collaboration with hostile governments and 12.5 years for wealth laundering. He was besides fined $1 cardinal and sentenced to 2.5 years for currency smuggling.
Under Iranian law, Vandecasteele would beryllium eligible for merchandise aft 12.5 years. The judiciary website said the verdicts tin beryllium appealed.
Iran has detained a fig of foreigners and dual nationals implicit the years, accusing them of espionage oregon different authorities information offenses and sentencing them aft secretive trials successful which rights groups accidental they are denied owed process.
Critics impeach Iran of utilizing specified prisoners arsenic bargaining chips with the West, thing Iranian officials deny. Vandecasteele’s condemnation comes aft an Iranian diplomat successful Belgium received a 20-year situation condemnation successful 2021 implicit masterminding a thwarted weaponry onslaught against an exiled Iranian absorption radical successful France.
Iran has not released immoderate details astir the charges against Vandecasteele. It is unclear if they are related to anti-government protests that person convulsed Iran for months oregon a long-running shadiness war with Israel and the U.S. marked by covert attacks connected Iran’s disputed atomic program.
The nationwide protests began aft the decease successful constabulary custody of 22-year-old Mahsa Amini, who was detained for allegedly violating Iran’s strict Islamic formal code. Rallying nether the slogan “Women, life, freedom,” the protesters accidental they are fed up with decades of societal and governmental repression. Iran has blamed the protests connected overseas powers, without providing evidence.
Vandecasteele’s household said past period that helium has been detained successful an Iranian situation for months and has been connected a hunger strike. They said helium was deprived of entree to a lawyer of his prime and is suffering from superior wellness problems.
Belgium has urged its nationals to permission Iran, informing that they look the hazard of arbitrary apprehension oregon unfair trial.
“Iran has provided nary authoritative accusation regarding the charges against Olivier Vandecasteele oregon his trial,” Belgium’s Foreign Minister Hadja Lahbib said successful a statement. “We volition summon the Iranian ambassador today, fixed the accusation that is circulating successful the press.”
“Belgium continues to condemn this arbitrary detention and is doing everything imaginable to enactment an extremity to it and to amended the conditions of his detention,” she said.
The anti-government protests, which person continued for astir 4 months with nary motion of ending, are 1 of the biggest challenges to the Islamic Republic since the 1979 gyration that brought it to power.
At slightest 520 protesters person been killed and much than 19,300 radical person been arrested, according to Human Rights Activists successful Iran, a radical that has been monitoring the unrest. Iranian authorities person not provided authoritative figures connected deaths oregon arrests.
Iran has executed 4 radical aft convicting them of charges linked to the protests, including attacks connected information forces. They were convicted successful Revolutionary Courts, which bash not let those connected proceedings to prime their ain lawyers oregon spot the grounds against them.
London-based Amnesty International has said specified trials carnivore “no resemblance to a meaningful judicial proceeding.”
Norway and Denmark summoned Iranian ambassadors this week to protestation the executions and Iran’s handling of the demonstrations.
“What is happening successful Iran is wholly unacceptable and indispensable stop,” Norway’s Foreign Minister Anniken Huitfeldt said. “We person powerfully condemned the executions. ... We person called connected Iran to extremity the usage of the decease punishment and to respect quality rights.”
In Denmark, Foreign Minister Lars Løkke Rasmussen called the executions “completely unacceptable” and said the European Union should enforce further sanctions connected Iran.
Separately connected Tuesday, the state-run IRNA quality bureau said Iran’s quality ministry arrested six teams of operatives linked to Mossad, Israel’s main quality and secret-service agency.
Without providing evidence, the study said the spy teams planned to assassinate an unnamed high-ranking subject authoritative and had carried retired respective sabotage operations successful the country’s large cities.
The study besides said information forces identified 23 alleged members of these teams and had arrested 13 of them who were successful the country.
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