Iran says a prisoner exchange with Belgium has been "finalized," hinting at the release of Belgian aid worker Olivier Vandecasteele. Iranian judiciary spokesman Massoud Setayeshi made the announcement on April 26, but Belgium Foreign Minister Hadja Lahbib told parliament it was an example of Iran's "manipulation and disinformation." Vandecasteele was sentenced in January to 40 years in prison for espionage after a trial his family and Belgian authorities dubbed unfair. In a potential swap, Brussels would release Iranian diplomat Assadollah Assadi, who was sentenced over a plot to blow up an Iranian opposition event in 2018 outside Paris. To read the original story by AFP, click here.
Belgium Calls Iranian Announcement Of 'Finalized' Prisoner Swap 'Disinformation'
Iranian opposition activists protest with a portrait depicting Iranian official Asadollah Assadi in Brussels in October 2018.