‘ARBITRARY’

Iran Sentences Belgian Aid Worker to 74 Lashes, 40 Years Behind Bars

Olivier Vandecasteele was detained last February for what Belgian officials called “a fabricated series of crimes.”

Iran sentenced a Belgian aid worker to four decades in prison and 74 lashes for alleged espionage and other supposed crimes, the state-run media outlet Mizan Online reported Tuesday. After his conviction in a closed-door trial, Olivier Vandecasteele, 41, was handed 12.5 years for spying, 12.5 years for collaborating with the U.S. government, 12.5 years for money laundering, and 2.5 years for currency smuggling. He was also fined $1 million. In a statement, Belgium’s Foreign Minister Hadja Lahbib condemned the “arbitrary” detention and charges, saying that she planned to summon the Iranian ambassador. Vandecasteele was first detained in February 2022 for what Vincent Van Quickenborne, Belgium’s justice minister, called “a fabricated series of crimes.” Prior to his arrest, he had worked for six years for a number of aid agencies in Iran. He had left the country last year, but returned in February for a brief visit, against the advice of Belgium’s government. Vandecasteele will be eligible for release after 12.5 years under Iranian regulations, according to the Associated Press. The Iranian judiciary’s website noted that the verdicts could be appealed.