Condition of Belgian aid worker jailed in Iran ‘deteriorating’

The well being of a Belgian humanitarian assist employee jailed in Iran is deteriorating, in line with his greatest good friend.

Olivier Vandecasteele was imprisoned in Tehran final February on the eve of his return house and sentenced to 40 years in jail with 74 lashes.

However after almost one yr in solitary confinement his closest good friend Olivier Van Steirtegem – who has been serving to within the battle for his launch – says his situation isn’t good.

“The scenario is extraordinarily tough,” Van Steirtegem advised Euronews.

“The meals may be very unhealthy, so he misplaced already 25 kilos. He does not see anybody as a result of he cannot exit of his cell. He misplaced the nails of his toes. He has gastric points, psychological points, and dental points. So, Olivier is sort of determined.

“I might say Olivier does not see issues transferring, clearly, as a result of the those who have him, inform him ‘no person is considering you. Your embassy does not wish to see you. Your loved ones isn’t serious about you’. And that is clearly troubling in his thoughts.”

Van Steirtegem added that Belgian authorities ought to comply with the instance of the US authorities on the subject of negotiating prisoner exchanges.

“It is unattainable as a relative or as an in depth good friend of Olivier not to consider the scenario of comparable hostages in Iran and what these nations do as a way to liberate their very own residents,” he stated.

“I take a easy instance – the USA of America. Once they had this basketball participant [Brittney Griner] arrested in Russia – they didn’t hesitate to liberate a weapons trafficker, Viktor Bout, who was sentenced to 25 years in jail, to liberate this particular person as a way to get the return of their very own citizen.

“And that is a optimistic factor as a result of that signifies that democracy does not let authoritarian regimes do no matter they need. They take into account that the lifetime of their very own citizen is extra essential than regardless of the particular person they might have right here in jail.

“We [Belgium] must be extra confident, I might say, on the truth that the lifetime of a human being is crucial factor on Earth – full-stop.”

Hostage diplomacy

For a lot of observers, Vandecasteele is caught up in a high-stakes recreation of geopolitical hostage diplomacy.

Iran initially needed to swap him for an Iranian diplomat known as Assadollah Assadi who’s convicted of terrorism in Belgium.

However a Belgian courtroom suspended a switch treaty between Brussels and Tehran, which was agreed in July, fearing Assadi will escape punishment in Iran.

Which means that, for now, Vandecasteele is caught in the midst of diplomatic negotiations, with the Iranian authorities thus far solely keen to do a like-for-like trade. 

Belgium’s Supreme courtroom should determine by March if the swap can go forward below the phrases of this switch treaty. 

Amnesty Worldwide’s director in Belgium, Philippe Hensmans, says the federal government ought to already be engaged on different options ought to the prisoner swap fail.

“What’s extra harmful is to get the Belgian authorities pondering solely about this resolution to get Olivier launched. It is extraordinarily essential to seek out all these different options relatively than [just] this one, as a result of if the Court docket of Cassation [Supreme Court] says no, nicely, what lets do then?” Hensmans advised Euronews.

“So, I hope that there are diplomatic discussions – we do not know what’s being mentioned – however that the Belgian authorities is on the lookout for different options to get them launched.”

A time to be ‘brave’

A petition in Belgium calling for the discharge of Olivier has already reached 200,000 signatures.

Hensmans added that this could give the Belgian authorities much more cause to be courageous in its decision-making on the subject of Vandecasteele’s case.

“I believe what’s essential is to measure how a lot Belgian individuals are pushing to get him launched and pushing the Belgian authorities to do the whole lot they will to get him launched,” Hensmans stated.

“We’re reaching 200,000 individuals who have signed the petition, which is gigantic. That is in all probability one of many largest petitions we’ve got had at Amnesty [in Belgium], for instance. They usually should take that under consideration. So many individuals are asking that they [Belgian government] be brave as a result of they’re supported by the Belgian inhabitants. So be brave.”

Earlier this month, Belgian Justice Minister Vincent Van Quickenborne stated the federal government will do the whole lot it might probably throughout the bounds of the structure to free Vandecasteele.

However as Belgium is ready for the Supreme Court docket determination, it’s not the one nation locked in a diplomatic wrestle with Iran.

On Sunday, an illustration was held in Paris calling for the discharge of seven French residents held in Iranian prisons on trumped-up costs, together with espionage.

There are different nations too, as Tehran more and more makes use of the tactic in opposition to the West, as its personal diplomatic leverage wanes, following years of crippling financial sanctions. 

It is why Amnesty Worldwide says nations affected by the identical downside want to start out working collectively to neutralise Iran’s efforts at geopolitical hostage-taking.