London Daily

Focus on the big picture.
Thursday, Sep 04, 2025

European hostages in Iran used as political 'bargaining chips'

European hostages in Iran used as political 'bargaining chips'

Some 15 European citizens are currently detained in Iranian prisons proving a major source of diplomatic tension between Iran and the EU.
Lengthy sentences, torture and for some, the death penalty. This is the reality of an estimated 15 Europeans face who are imprisoned in Iran.

While two French citizens, Benjamin Brière and Bernard Phelan, were liberated last Friday, others are still living behind bars. “There are Europeans from lots of different nationalities, namely Swedish, British and French detainees", explains Raphaël Chenuil-Hazan, the president of the French NGO, Ensemble contre la peine de mort which fights against the use of capital punishment.

Europeans and dual nationals are systematically used as political bargaining chips by Iran. According to Chenuil-Hazan, Europe feeds into this vicious cycle, “unfortunately ‘hostage diplomacy’ works because it [Brussels] continues to negotiate for hostages”.

Who has been handed a death sentence?

Charged with organising an attack against a military parade in 2018, the execution of Swedish-Iranian Habib Farajollah Chaab in early May sparked an international backlash. Europe's High Representative for Foreign Affairs Josep Borell, "strongly condemned" the decision, with Swedish Foreign Minister Tobias Billstrom responding to the news with ‘dismay’.

The dual national had been living in Sweden for over a decade, he was kidnapped whilst travelling in Turkey in January 2020 by Iranian security.

“Iran did not recognise Chabib’s dual Swedish and Iranian nationality. They only saw an Iranian opponent, rather than a European. He is Swedish and he should be protected as such by international conventions,” Chenuil-Hazan said.

The case of Alireza Akbari, a British-Iranian dual national executed on charges of spying for the United Kingdom in January, also made headlines. Akbari was sentenced for 'corruption on Earth', as well as for posing a threat to national security. This is a commonplace motive according to Chenuil-Hazan, "there is this fear of spying. They see spies everywhere!"

"Since 2022 the death penalty has increasingly been used by the government to put pressure on protestors", Agnès Callamard, the Secretary-General of Amnesty, told Euronews. Iran carried out more than 576 executions in 2022, the second highest rate in the world after China, according to Amnesty International’s latest report.

As for 2023, experts fear the execution rate will rise: “Eighteen protestors have already been sentenced to death and hundreds more risk a similar fate”, said Chenuil-Hazan.

Europe’s relations with Iran

"There are a number of Iranian leaders who do not believe in maintaining relations with the West, they only believe in power plays. They are convinced that there is no point in equal negotiations" explained Thierry Coville, an expert in International Relations.

However, Coville underlined the importance of such talks: "It's not because we discuss, that we give in. Establishing a dialogue means making contact, looking at what is required, establishing a balance of power and effectively trying to achieve the objective we have been talking about, which is to get these people out of there."

“The European Parliament placed certain members of the Iranian Revolutionary Guard on a blacklist. However, they shouldn’t be picking individuals but instead placing the whole body on the list”, Bart Groothuis, the Vice-President of the Iran Delegation of the European Union and MEP for Renew Europe told Euronews.

Groothius - who has also been sanctioned by Iran - has urged Borrel to "come up with new forms of hostage diplomacy and work on prisoner swaps, to see what we can do to get more prisoners out of Iran."

Last January, MEPs voted in favour of a resolution that would classify the Islamic National Revolutionary Guard Corps as terrorists. However, this measure was not implemented. “There needs to be a court decision first", said Borell last January.

Under EU legislation, it is up to the 27 Member States to provide consular assistance and deal with their citizens imprisoned in Iran. They may then request assistance from Brussels to complement these efforts.

However, according to Amnesty International, European governments could go further in assisting their citizens. “It is open to question whether European governments are doing all they can do. For instance, there are doubts as to whether they are attending the trials of these individuals”, underlined Callamard.
Newsletter

Related Articles

0:00
0:00
Close
Putin Celebrates ‘Unprecedentedly High’ Ties with China as Gazprom Seals Power of Siberia-2 Deal
China Unveils New Weapons in Grand Military Parade as Xi Hosts Putin and Kim
Queen Camilla’s Teenage Courage: Fended Off Attempted Assault on London Train, New Biography Reveals
Scottish Brothers Set Record in Historic Pacific Row
Rapper Cardi B Cleared of Liability in Los Angeles Civil Assault Trial
Google Avoids Break-Up in U.S. Antitrust Case as Stocks Rise
Couple celebrates 80th wedding anniversary at assisted living facility in Lancaster
Information Warfare in the Age of AI: How Language Models Become Targets and Tools
The White House on LinkedIn Has Changed Their Profile Picture to Donald Trump
"Insulted the Prophet Muhammad": Woman Burned Alive by Angry Mob in Niger State, Nigeria
Trump Responds to Death Rumors – Announces 'Missile City'
Court of Appeal Allows Asylum Seekers to Remain at Essex Hotel Amid Local Tax Boycott Threats
Germany in Turmoil: Ukrainian Teenage Girl Pushed to Death by Illegal Iraqi Migrant
United Krack down on human rights: Graham Linehan Arrested at Heathrow Over Three X Posts, Hospitalised, Released on Bail with Posting Ban
Asian and Middle Eastern Investors Avoid US Markets
Ray Dalio Warns of US Shift to Autocracy
Eurozone Inflation Rises to 2.1% in August
Russia and China Sign New Gas Pipeline Deal
China's Robotics Industry Fuels Export Surge
Suntory Chairman Resigns After Police Probe
Gold Price Hits New All-Time Record
Von der Leyen's Plane Hit by Suspected Russian GPS Interference in an Incident Believed to Be Caused by Russia or by Pro-Peace or by Anti-Corruption European Activists
UK Fintechs Explore Buying US Banks
Greece Suspends 5% of Schools as Birth Rate Drops
Apollo to Launch $5 Billion Sports Investment Vehicle
Bolsonaro Trial Nears Close Amid US-Brazil Tension
European Banks Push for Lower Cross-Border Barriers
Poland's Offshore Wind Sector Attracts Investors
Nvidia Reveals: Two Mystery Customers Account for About 40% of Revenue
Woody Allen: "I Would Be Happy to Direct Trump Again in a Film"
Pickles are the latest craze among Generation Z in the United States.
Deadline Day Delivers Record £125m Isak Move and Donnarumma to City
Nestlé Removes CEO Laurent Freixe Following Undisclosed Relationship with Subordinate
Giuliani Seriously Injured in Accident – Trump to Award Him the Presidential Medal of Freedom
EU is getting aggressive: Four AfD Candidates Die Unexpectedly Ahead of North Rhine-Westphalia Local Elections
Lula and Putin Hold Strategic BRICS Discussions Ahead of Trump–Putin Summit
WhatsApp is rolling out a feature that looks a lot like Telegram.
Investigations Reveal Rise in ‘Sex-for-Rent’ Listings Across Canada Exploiting Vulnerable Tenants
Chinese and Indian Leaders Pursue Amity Amid Global Shifts
European Union Plans for Ukraine Deployment
ECB Warns Against Inflation Complacency
Concerns Over North Cyprus Casino Development
Shipping Companies Look Beyond Chinese Finance
Rural Exodus Fueling European Wildfires
China Hosts Major Security Meeting
Chinese Police Successfully Recover Family's Savings from Livestream Purchases
Germany Marks a Decade Since Migrant Wave with Divisions, Success Stories, and Political Shifts
Liverpool Defeat Arsenal 1–0 with Szoboszlai Free-Kick to Stay Top of Premier League
Prince Harry and King Charles to Meet in First Reunion After 20 Months
Chinese Stock Market Rally Fueled by Domestic Investors
×