Top Swedish Court Rejects Review of Ex-Iranian Official's Life Sentence

Sweden's Supreme Court has refused to review the life imprisonment sentence for Hamid Nouri, a former Iranian judicial official.

"The Supreme Court has now decided not to grant leave to appeal. This means that the judgment of the Court of Appeal stands," a Swedish court said on March 6.

Nouri was convicted of participating in the mass executions of political prisoners in 1988 while he was an assistant prosecutor at Gohardasht prison in Iran.

Nouri was arrested in 2019 upon arrival at Stockholm airport, and his trial began in August 2021 after Swedish authorities invoked the principle of "universal jurisdiction."

He was sentenced to life in prison in 2022 by the Stockholm District Court, which convicted him of "crime against international law."

The ruling garnered significant attention online, with many celebrating it as a "victory for justice."

Plaintiffs in the case, alongside human rights activists, expressed hope that the ruling will set a precedent for holding Iranian officials accountable for human rights violations.

They emphasized the need for increased international cooperation to address such abuses in Iran.

The Iranian government, however, condemned the Swedish court's decision and took retaliatory actions, including the detention of two Swedish citizens.