Irandeal Vandecasteele: Vande Lanotte reads the judgment as a “Judgment of Solomon”

The Constitutional Court on Friday rejected an appeal against the Iran deal, which means that a treaty that provides for an exchange of prisoners between our country and Iran remains intact. The deal could be important for the release of Oliver Vandecasteele, the Belgian aid worker who has been held in an Iranian cell for more than a year. In exchange for his release, Belgium could transfer Iranian dummy diplomat Assadolah Assadi to Iran. In 2021, he was sentenced to 20 years in prison in our country for his role in a – foiled – terrorist attack in Paris.

NO SECURITY YET

According to constitutional specialist Johan Vande Lanotte, the judgment of the Constitutional Court “leaves the door ajar”, but the Court actually transfers the final decision to the Court of First Instance. “The Constitutional Court says that the rights of the victims of Assadi must be taken into account, but also with the right to a dignified life of Mr. Vandecasteele. Those two interests must be weighed,” said Vande Lanotte. “In any case, we will still have a procedure before the court of first instance and possibly an appeal,” he said in Terzak. According to Vande Lanotte, the judgment of the Constitutional Court is “good news” for Vandecasteele’s family, “but there is no certainty yet”.