EU home affairs chief appeals for release of Swedish EU employee held in Iranian prison

The European Union’s home affairs commissioner makes an impassioned appeal for the release of a Swedish employee of the EU’s diplomatic corps who spent a second birthday in an infamous Iranian prison.

Sweden said last week that Johan Floderus, who worked for the European Union’s External Action Service, was arbitrarily detained in Iran last year. He has been in custody for more than 500 days and turned 33 yesterday.

Home Affairs Commissioner Ylva Johansson says Floderus was part of her Cabinet for almost two years but had asked to work for the EU delegation in Afghanistan before he was detained in Iran.

“I’m very sad. I’m very worried,” Johansson tells journalists. “This has been with me for such a long time now. Of course, my feelings, my worries, are nothing compared to the situation of Johan or the worries that his closest family are living with every day.”

Johansson says it is up to the Swedish Ministry of Foreign Affairs to work for Floderus’ release in coordination with the EU’s diplomatic service.