Olivier Vandecasteele sentenced to 28 years in prison in Iran
The family of Olivier Vandecasteele learned the news of his conviction during a meeting with Prime Minister Alexander De Croo and Minister of Justice Vincent Van Quickenborne. Vandecasteele received a mock trial in Tehran. A prison sentence of 28 years means that he would not be released until 2050, when he will be 69.
Still hope?
For the time being, it is still unclear what exactly Vandecasteele has been convicted of. His family from Aalbeke meanwhile calls the situation hopeless. Especially now that the alleged Iran deal has been temporarily suspended for three months. In that treaty, our country and Iran can extradite prisoners to each other if they are convicted. The conviction of Vandecasteele could therefore mean that he can return to our country, at least if the deal goes through again.
Prison life in Tehran is hard, as recent photos also showed: Vandecasteele turned out to be very emaciated in a year’s time and gave a marked impression.
