Tehran, Iran – Iran and Sweden have completed a prisoner exchange, mediated by Oman, involving the release of a former Iranian official in exchange for a European Union diplomat and another Swedish-Iranian citizen.

The state-run Oman News Agency verified that the prisoners were transferred from Tehran and Stockholm to Muscat before returning to their respective countries.

Kazem Gharibabadi, head of the Iranian judiciary’s foreign relations, announced on X that Hamid Nouri, who was sentenced to life imprisonment in Sweden for war crimes and murder committed in Iran in 1988, had been released.

Prime Minister Ulf Kristersson confirmed that Sweden's Johan Floderus and Iranian-Swedish national Saeed Azizi were freed by Tehran and are en route to Sweden.

Floderus, 33, an EU diplomat, had been detained for more than two years. His trial began in Iran in December on charges of spying for Israel, which carried the potential death penalty.

Azizi was incarcerated on national security charges that entailed a five-year prison sentence.

‘Balancing Act’

Relations between Iran and Sweden have worsened due to the case of Nouri, who was convicted for his involvement in the deaths of thousands of political prisoners as deputy prosecutor of Gohardasht Prison near Tehran.

The Iranian government alleged that Nouri’s trial was influenced by Mujahedin-e Khalq (MEK), a foreign-based group labeled a “terrorist” organization by Iran for bombings in the 1980s and collaboration with former Iraqi President Saddam Hussein during the Iran-Iraq War.

A Swedish appeals court upheld Nouri's life sentence on December 19.

Reporting from Tehran, Al Jazeera’s Resul Serdar said Nouri returned to Iran on Saturday. “He has been warmly welcomed by Iranian officials and expressed immense happiness in his first statement,” Serdar said.

Reporting from Stockholm, Al Jazeera’s Paul Rhys said Floderus and Azizi were expected to arrive shortly in Sweden.

He described the exchange decision as a “balancing act” of multiple conflicting interests for the government.

“Firstly, the families of the two prisoners pressured the government to bring them home,” Rhys stated. “Secondly, human rights lawyers considered Nouri’s conviction in Sweden a significant milestone and wished him to remain imprisoned.

“Thirdly, a sizable Iranian diaspora in Sweden, many fleeing persecution in Iran, opposed Nouri's return to Tehran.”

Iran still detains dual national Ahmadreza Djalali, an academic sentenced to death on spying charges.

Amnesty International Sweden expressed concern on Saturday that Djalali’s situation was not addressed in the exchange, fearing he might be used as a “political pawn” for a similar deal.

“When will he be allowed to return home?” the group queried on X.