Iran has a long history of engaging in hostage diplomacy, using the detention of foreign and dual citizens as a central part of its foreign policy since the 1979 revolution. The country has demanded prisoners, assassins, cash, and frozen funds in exchange for releasing foreigners, and has orchestrated complex deals involving multiple countries. The recent exchange between Iran and Sweden saw the release of an Iranian official convicted of crimes against humanity in return for two Swedish citizens. However, a third Swedish citizen, Ahmadreza Djalali, remains imprisoned in Iran on unclear charges of treason.
Hostage diplomacy has been a successful tactic for Iran, with the country securing the release of prisoners and frozen assets through negotiations with various governments. The Obama administration made a $400 million cash payment to Iran in 2016, coinciding with the release of four Americans, including a journalist. In 2020, a British Australian academic was released in a transnational swap involving Iranians detained in Thailand. Iran has also secured the release of several American Iranian dual citizens in exchange for jailed Iranians, as well as gaining access to frozen oil revenues for humanitarian purchases.
The news of the recent hostage exchange between Iran and Sweden raised concerns among human rights activists and advocacy groups about the implications for accountability and justice for war crimes. Many feared that the abrupt swap involving an Iranian official convicted of crimes against humanity could set a dangerous precedent for authoritarian governments engaging in similar tactics. A news channel affiliated with Iran’s Revolutionary Guards Corps openly discussed the two Swedish citizens exchanged for the Iranian official as being arrested solely for the purpose of a swap, highlighting the calculated nature of Iran’s hostage diplomacy.
The exchange between Iran and Sweden drew criticism from rights advocacy groups, with concerns raised about leaving behind a third Swedish citizen, Ahmadreza Djalali, who is facing execution in Iran on questionable charges of treason. Hostage Aid Worldwide, an advocacy group that helps secure the release of hostages, called Sweden’s decision to leave Mr. Djalali behind “evil” and had written to the Swedish prime minister urging for his release prior to the exchange. The complex nature of hostage diplomacy poses challenges for governments in negotiating the release of their citizens while balancing geopolitical interests and ethical considerations.
Iran’s use of hostage diplomacy has been a troubling trend in international relations, with the country strategically detaining foreign and dual citizens as leverage in negotiations with other countries. The tit-for-tat exchanges of prisoners, cash, and frozen assets have helped Iran secure political and financial gains, often at the expense of human rights and justice for victims of rights violations. The lack of a unified policy against hostage taking has enabled Iran to continue its tactics, with the potential for other authoritarian governments to learn from Iran’s approach and normalize hostage diplomacy in international relations. The recent exchange between Iran and Sweden highlights the complex ethical and diplomatic challenges posed by hostage diplomacy and the need for a coordinated international response to address such practices.
