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On Saturday evening, the 33-year-old Swedish EU official Johan Floderus landed in Sweden after nearly 800 days in an Iranian prison. Now his family is publishing a longer statement and thanking everyone for their efforts.
“We find no words to express how grateful we are for this. It feels unreal. A chapter in our lives is over and a new one can begin,” the family writes.
“Our thoughts are with the other prisoners who are still suffering in Iranian prisons”
They express gratitude to the Swedish politicians and the European Commission who worked for Johan Floderus’ release.
The statement ends with a few words from Johan Floderus himself:
“After two long years, I am finally a free man, reunited with my family, engaged and able to marry. I want to thank all of you who made this possible: friends and strangers from near and far. The dream that I sometimes didn’t dare to believe in has come true – to be back with my loved ones and to live my life in freedom.”
Sweden has never before conducted an international prisoner exchange.
The life-sentenced Iranian Hamid Noury was pardoned and exchanged for the Swedes Johan Floderus and Saeed Azizi, who were imprisoned in Iran.
(June 18)