Olivier Vandecasteele, the Belgian humanitarian detained in Iran for a little over a year, was able to speak briefly by telephone on Monday with his family as well as with a representative of the Belgian embassy, for the first time. since January 20, his family said in a statement on Thursday. The Belgian humanitarian confirmed during this twenty-minute interview, “filmed and in the presence of many guards”, according to his relatives, “that his conditions of detention had not changed significantly”.
Olivier Vandecasteele is indeed still in complete isolation and appeared “weakened” and “psychologically marked” but “nevertheless combative” and “outraged by his arbitrary imprisonment and the complete absence of concrete prospects for his return to Belgium” , despite the positive signals sent by Belgium recently, continues the press release. On March 3, the Constitutional Court rejected the appeal for annulment against the treaty for the transfer of sentenced persons concluded with Iran.
Olivier Vandecasteele, detained since February 24, 2022 by the Iranian authorities, was sentenced to 40 years in prison and 74 lashes for espionage after a show trial.