Belgium today submitted an application to Iran to transfer Olivier Vandecasteele to our country. The Belgian NGO worker was earlier sentenced to 40 years in jail as well as whiplashes after he was accused of spying.
Before the transfer can take place under the new prisoner exchange treaty with Iran, a whole series of conditions have to be met.
Vandecasteele has to formally confirm that he wants to be transferred. A whole series of administrative actions are also needed and Vandecasteele also has to be heard on the matter. The Iranian authorities will also have to approve the transfer themselves.
According to sources contacted by VRT the whole procedure "could still take a long time".
Yesterday, Belgian foreign minister Hadja Lahbib (Francophone liberal) had another meeting with her Iranian counterpart to discuss the issue. There, she again called for an improvement in Vandecasteele's detention conditions.