The justice minister of Belgium revealed on Tuesday that Iran has been holding a Belgian citizen for the past four months on "espionage"-related accusations as his nation considers a contentious prisoner swap with Tehran.
The minister, Vincent Van Quickenborne, informed Belgian MPs of the man's capture in Iran on February 24 and his "illegal" imprisonment since since, according to AFP.
An Iranian ambassador was sentenced to 20 years in jail in Belgium last year after being found guilty on "terrorism"-related crimes for planning a bombing outside of Paris in 2018.
Ahmadreza Djalali, a Swedish academic with Iranian citizenship who taught at a university in Brussels, is notable among those Iran is detaining.
Djalali was charged with "espionage" and given the death penalty by Iran.
Follow the latest news on Google News
