WANA (Dec 23) – Norway has announced that it is aware of the detention of a dual Norwegian–Iranian citizen in Iran, a claim that has drawn attention following reports by human rights groups and international media.
Oslo said on Monday, December 22, that the Norwegian Ministry of Foreign Affairs had been informed of the arrest of a Norwegian citizen in Iran. Speaking to Agence France-Presse, Mathias Rongved, spokesperson for Norway’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs, confirmed the matter, stating: “The Ministry of Foreign Affairs is aware of the detention of a Norwegian citizen in Iran, but due to our obligation to confidentiality, we cannot provide further details.”
He also confirmed that the detained individual holds dual Norwegian–Iranian citizenship.
Meanwhile, a human rights organization has claimed that the detainee is Shahin Mahmoudi, born in 1979, and reported that she was arrested in the city of Saqqez, in Iran’s Kurdistan province. According to the group, Mahmoudi traveled from Norway to Iran on November 28.
As of the time of publication, Iranian authorities have not issued any official response to these claims, and no further details regarding the reasons for or circumstances of the detention have been made public.
Shahin Mahmoudi, a dual Norwegian–Iranian citizen. Social media /WANA News Agency