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Belgian aid worker Olivier Vandecasteele, now held in an undisclosed Iranian prison, and facing 40 years and 74 lashes (Photo: Amnesty International)

We call on EU leaders to work with Tehran to release Olivier Vandecasteele

Olivier Vandecasteele, an experienced and respected Belgian humanitarian worker, is being arbitrarily detained in an unknown location in Iran.

He was sentenced to a cumulative total of 40 years of prison for "espionage against the Islamic Republic of Iran for the benefit of a foreign intelligence", "cooperation with a hostile government, the United States, against the Islamic Republic of Iran". He was also sentenced to 74 lashes.

At present, negotiations to secure his release in ...

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The views expressed in this opinion piece are the author’s, not those of EUobserver

Author Bio

1. Accion Contra el Hambre, Spain — José Luis Maldonado, Chairman of the board

2. ActionAid International — Ana Alcalde, Programme and Global Engagement Director

3. Action Contre la Faim, France — Pierre Micheletti, Chairman of the board

4. ADRA Germany — Christian Molke, Chief Executive Officer

5. Aktion gegen den Hunger Deutschland — Cornelia Richter, Chairperson

6. Arbeiter-Samariter-Bund Deutschland e.V. — Edith Wallmeier, Member of the Executive Board

7. Avocats Sans Frontières — Chantal van Cutsem, Executive Director

8. Bioforce — Bernard Sinou, Chairman

9. CARE Nederland — Reintje van Haeringen, Chief Executive Officer

10. Caritas Czech Republic — Jakub Licka, General Secretary

11. Christian Aid Ireland — Rev Dr Liz Hughes, Chair of the Board

12. Congodorpen — Jos Van Steenwinkel, President

13. COOPI, Cooperazione Internazionale — Claudio Ceravolo, President

14. Coordination Sud — France, Olivier Bruyeron, Chairman

15. EU-CORD — Ruth Faber, Chief Executive Officer

16. Finn Church Aid — Tomi Järvinen, Executive Director

17. Handicap International / Humanity & Inclusion — Manuel Patrouillard, Global Managing Director

18. Handicap International Belgique, Erwin Telemans, Director Benelux

19. Initiatives et changement — Marina Benedik, Chief Executive Officer

20. International Rescue Committee — Harlem Désir, Senior Vice President for Europe

21. La Chaîne de l'Espoir — Anouchka Finker, Chief Executive Officer

22. LM International — Isabella Olsson, Head of Global Advocacy

23. Médecins du Monde, Allemagne/ Ärzte der Welt e.V. / Doctors of the World Germany — François De Keersmaeker, Director

24. Médecins du Monde, Belgique — Claire Bourgeois, Chairwoman

25. Médecins du Monde, France — Florence Rigal, Chairwoman of the Board

26. Médecins du Monde, Grèce — Chara Tziouvara, Chairwoman

27 Médecins du Monde, Suisse- Dominik Schmid, Chairman

28. Oxfam België/Belgique — Eva Smets, Executive Director

29. People in Need (PIN) — Simon Panek, Chief Executive Officer

30. Première Urgence Internationale — Vincent Basquin, Chaiman of the Board

31. Solidarités internationale, France — Antoine Peigney, Chairman of the Board

32. SOS Méditerranée — François Thomas, Chairman

33. Terre des Hommes, International Federation — Valérie Ceccherini, General Secretary

34. Triangle Génération Humanitaire — Véronique Valty, Chairwoman

35. VOICE — Dominic Crowley, President

36. Welthungerhilfe — Mathias Mogge, Chief Executive Officer

37. ZOA, Nederland — Edwin Visser, Member of Executive Board

Belgian aid worker Olivier Vandecasteele, now held in an undisclosed Iranian prison, and facing 40 years and 74 lashes (Photo: Amnesty International)

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Author Bio

1. Accion Contra el Hambre, Spain — José Luis Maldonado, Chairman of the board

2. ActionAid International — Ana Alcalde, Programme and Global Engagement Director

3. Action Contre la Faim, France — Pierre Micheletti, Chairman of the board

4. ADRA Germany — Christian Molke, Chief Executive Officer

5. Aktion gegen den Hunger Deutschland — Cornelia Richter, Chairperson

6. Arbeiter-Samariter-Bund Deutschland e.V. — Edith Wallmeier, Member of the Executive Board

7. Avocats Sans Frontières — Chantal van Cutsem, Executive Director

8. Bioforce — Bernard Sinou, Chairman

9. CARE Nederland — Reintje van Haeringen, Chief Executive Officer

10. Caritas Czech Republic — Jakub Licka, General Secretary

11. Christian Aid Ireland — Rev Dr Liz Hughes, Chair of the Board

12. Congodorpen — Jos Van Steenwinkel, President

13. COOPI, Cooperazione Internazionale — Claudio Ceravolo, President

14. Coordination Sud — France, Olivier Bruyeron, Chairman

15. EU-CORD — Ruth Faber, Chief Executive Officer

16. Finn Church Aid — Tomi Järvinen, Executive Director

17. Handicap International / Humanity & Inclusion — Manuel Patrouillard, Global Managing Director

18. Handicap International Belgique, Erwin Telemans, Director Benelux

19. Initiatives et changement — Marina Benedik, Chief Executive Officer

20. International Rescue Committee — Harlem Désir, Senior Vice President for Europe

21. La Chaîne de l'Espoir — Anouchka Finker, Chief Executive Officer

22. LM International — Isabella Olsson, Head of Global Advocacy

23. Médecins du Monde, Allemagne/ Ärzte der Welt e.V. / Doctors of the World Germany — François De Keersmaeker, Director

24. Médecins du Monde, Belgique — Claire Bourgeois, Chairwoman

25. Médecins du Monde, France — Florence Rigal, Chairwoman of the Board

26. Médecins du Monde, Grèce — Chara Tziouvara, Chairwoman

27 Médecins du Monde, Suisse- Dominik Schmid, Chairman

28. Oxfam België/Belgique — Eva Smets, Executive Director

29. People in Need (PIN) — Simon Panek, Chief Executive Officer

30. Première Urgence Internationale — Vincent Basquin, Chaiman of the Board

31. Solidarités internationale, France — Antoine Peigney, Chairman of the Board

32. SOS Méditerranée — François Thomas, Chairman

33. Terre des Hommes, International Federation — Valérie Ceccherini, General Secretary

34. Triangle Génération Humanitaire — Véronique Valty, Chairwoman

35. VOICE — Dominic Crowley, President

36. Welthungerhilfe — Mathias Mogge, Chief Executive Officer

37. ZOA, Nederland — Edwin Visser, Member of Executive Board

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