Belgian humanitarian Olivier VandecastelHeld in solitary confinement in Iran since February, he was sentenced to 28 years in prison, a spokesman for his family said Wednesday, insisting they were unaware of the charges against him.
“The family is degenerate“, said AFP Olivier Van Steirtegem, a spokesman for the family, who said he had been informed by the Belgian government. “There is no plan B“, he continued. “Do you imagine? If there is no solution, he will be in prison until 2050, when he will be almost 70 years old“, he added. According to his family, Oliver Vandecastel was arrested without reason in Tehran on February 24.
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On Thursday, the Belgian Constitutional Court “Suspendedยป The Belgian government accepted the Belgian-Iranian extradition deal in July to allow the return of Olivier Vandecastel by parliament. Those close to them told each other.Very disappointing“. The exchange deal signed between Brussels and Tehran in March 2022, shortly after the arrest of Olivier Vandecasteele, has been the subject of several appeals in Belgium by exiled Iranian dissidents.
In the view of the latter, the text opens the way for capitulation to Tehran and a possible pardon for Iranian diplomat Asadullah Azadi, who was sentenced to 20 years in prison for a planned 2021 attack in Belgium.TerroristAgainst the Iranian Resistance.
At a press conference in Brussels last week, Nathalie Vandecastel, sister of the jailed humanitarian, said, “”Unspeakable psychological torture“suffered by his brother”Innocent hostages of legal-political warpitting Iran and Belgium against each other. “For 290 days, he was cut off from all human contact (…) As the days passed, our family fell apart. We are saddened, mutilated, amputated by this injustice“, she declared at the sight of her mother, her eyes also reddened with emotion.
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