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NGO worker Olivier Vandecasteele freed from imprisonment in Iran

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NGO worker Olivier Vandecasteele freed from imprisonment in Iran

The Belgium-born NGO worker had been sentenced to a total of 40 years in prison in Teheran for widely contested charges of “espionage.”

Olivier Vandecasteele, the Belgian humanitarian aid worker imprisoned in Teheran since February 2022 under criminal charges widely contested, has been released from jail and is currently heading back to his home country.

The news was announced by Belgian Prime Minister Alexander De Croo in a press release released on Friday morning.

“Olivier Vandecasteele is on his way to Belgium. If everything goes as planned, he will be with us tonight. Finally free”, De Croo wrote.

“Oliver spent 455 days in a Teheran prison. In unbearable conditions. Innocent.”

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His return is “a relief for his family, for his friends, for his colleague,” De Croo added, later tweeting a picture of the NGO worker onboard a plane, writing “At last with us”.

Vandecasteele left Teheran on Thursday night and was flown to Oman to undergo a medical examination, the prime minister said. The worker was accompanied by Belgian diplomats and military officers.

His release was made possible after a prisoner swap between Iran and Belgium, the Omani foreign affairs ministry said in a statement.

The Belgian government had previously tabled a controversial treaty on prisoner exchanges in a bid to secure the release of the 42-year-old.

Shortly after De Croo’s announcement, the Iranian government confirmed the exchanged prisoner was Assadollah Assadi, an Iranian national who had been sentenced to 20 years in prison by a court in Antwerp in 2021 for plotting a failed bomb attack against an Iranian opposition group in Paris.

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NGO Médecins du Monde, with which Vandecasteele worked, said it learned of his release “with immense relief”.

“We wish him a safe journey home and a happy stay with his loved ones,” it added.

Who is Olivier Vandecasteele?

Born in Tournai, a French-speaking city in southern Belgium, Vandecasteele spent his professional career working for several humanitarian NGOs in countries such as Afghanistan, Mali, the Sahel region and, most recently, Iran.

The Belgian national returned to Iran in February 2022 to pick up his personal affairs in what was supposed to be a quick trip before definitely leaving the country.

But his departure was thwarted when he was arrested on 24 February by Iranian security agents in plain clothes, who reportedly failed to show him an arrest warrant.

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According to a group of United Nations experts who examined his case, Vandecasteele was subjected to “multiple interrogations” and denied access to a lawyer.

Vandecasteele was initially held at the Evin prison and then moved blindfolded to a windowless room in an unknown location, the experts said.

He was later sentenced to a total of 40 years in prison in Tehran and a physical punishment consisting of 74 lashes.

The four charges related to alleged espionage against Iran, cooperation with the United States, currency smuggling and money laundering – accusations described as “arbitrary” and a “flagrant violation of international law” by the UN experts.

“We believe Mr Vandecasteele has been arbitrarily deprived of his liberty and is a victim of enforced disappearance for periods of detention,” the experts said in a report released in January.

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The UN panel received reports that indicated a weight loss of 15 kilos, “serious” health problems and a two-week hunger strike.

His deteriorating health triggered protests in solidarity across Belgium and piled further pressure on the central government to achieve a diplomatic solution that could bring the NGO worker back to his home country.

Relations between the West and Iran have taken a turn for the worse in recent months following the death of Mahsa Amini and growing evidence of Teheran’s military assistance to Moscow amid Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.

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Nathan’s Famous Hot Dog Eating Contest: Who Won the Annual Fourth of July Binge-a-thon? (Watch Video)

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Nathan’s Famous Hot Dog Eating Contest: Who Won the Annual Fourth of July Binge-a-thon? (Watch Video)


Who Won Nathan’s Hot Dog Eating Contest 2024 — Winner, Results



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Australian girl, 12, killed by crocodile while swimming in creek

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Australian girl, 12, killed by crocodile while swimming in creek

Australian authorities discovered the remains of a 12-year-old girl Thursday after she was reportedly snatched by a crocodile while swimming in a creek.

Police Senior Sgt. Erica Gibson told reporters, “It was an extremely difficult, essentially 36 hours, difficult for the first responders involved in the search.”

The child’s disappearance began a nearly two-day search by land, air and water.

Her remains were discovered near the river where the girl had gone missing, southwest of the Northern Territory capital Darwin, in the Indigenous community of Palumpa. 

Sgt. Gibson confirmed that the girl’s injuries were from a crocodile attack, saying “The recovery has been made. It was particularly gruesome and a sad, devastating outcome.”

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AUSTRALIAN FAMILY DISCOVERS VENOMOUS SNAKE IN CHILD’S BED

A girl was snatched by a crocodile while swimming in a river in Palumpa, Australia Tuesday, according to police. (Associated Press)

“However, for the family, it is the most devastating outcome possible for them. They are in a state of extreme shock and disbelief,” Gibson added.

Saltwater crocodiles are known to be territorial and the killer reptile may still be in nearby waterways. They are known to be a general risk in the Northern Territory, according to The Associated Press.

SLY ALLIGATOR LURKING UNDER PUBLIX SHOPPING CARTS CAUGHT ON VIDEO IN SOUTH CAROLINA

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Northern Australia is a tropical climate, supporting a boom in saltwater crocodile populations since populations have been conserved under Australian law beginning in the 1970s.

A view of the riverway where a 12-year-old's remains were discovered in Australia

A girl was snatched by a crocodile while swimming in a river in Palumpa, Australia Tuesday, according to police. (Associated Press)

The population of large crocodiles is on the rise in Northern Australia, with some reptiles reaching up to 23 feet long. The animals grow throughout their lives, and crocodiles can live up to around 70 years of age.

Sgt. Gibson told reporters that the search efforts for the killer crocodile are still underway.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.

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Remains of destroyed Kharkiv stadium exhibited in Berlin

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Remains of destroyed Kharkiv stadium exhibited in Berlin

The joy of the European Championship exists parallel to the suffering caused by Russia’s war of aggression, says Bärbel Bas, President of the German Bundestag.

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Remains of the Sonyachny Stadium from Kharkiv, damaged by Russian missiles, have found a new temporary home in Berlin.

German Bundestag President Bärbel Bas and Ukrainian Ambassador Oleksii Makeiev unveiled the interactive installation by the Ukrainian Association of Football in front of the German Parliament building.

The stand includes an interactive installation with the story of Sonyachny. Using virtual reality, it’s possible to experience the stadium in real-time, seeing its current state.

The damaged tribune was first displayed in Munich, where the Ukrainian team has played their first match at this year’s euros against Romania. The team has since been knocked out of the tournament.

Kharkiv was one of four Ukrainian host cities for the Euros in 2012. In 2022, the stadium on display was destroyed by Russian attacks.  

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So far, 500 sports facilities in Ukraine, including 77 football stadiums, have been damaged or destroyed by Russian bomb and missile attacks. 

Speaking to the press, Bas emphasized how this project communicates a message of duality: the joy of the European Championship exists in parallel to the suffering caused by Russia’s war of aggression.

She also expressed her support for the Ukrainian people.

“Today is the 19th day of the European Championship in Germany. That corresponds to the number of days in June alone on which air strikes were launched in Kharkiv. 468 hours. 19.5 days. In this sense, this stand is a memorial – a reminder that not far from here Russia is committing genocide on a daily basis, from which even soccer is not immune,” Ambassador Makeiv told journalists.

‘Peace has a price’

The damaged stand was first exhibited in Munich, where the Ukrainian team played its first match at this year’s European Championships against Romania. The Ukrainian team lost the game 3-0.

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The stand then travelled with the team to Düsseldorf where it was again put on display.

After three games resulting in a loss, a win and a draw, the Ukrainian team was eliminated from the tournament.

During the team’s last match in Stuttgart against Belgium, Ukrainian fans sent a sign. From the stands, they held a banner with the words “Peace has a price” along with a portrait of fallen soldier and football fan Nazariy Hryntsevich.

The image of Hryntsevich was created using artificial intelligence (AI) and the photos of 182 other fallen Ukrainian soldiers, all of whom were known to be avid fans of their local soccer clubs.

If the circumstances had been different, they would probably have been at the games in person or supporting their team in front of the TV. Instead, their static images radiate emotion and resilience.

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