On Sunday 22 January at 14:00, a rally to show support for the Belgian former aid worker unjustly detained in Iran, Olivier Vandecasteele, will take place on Brussels' Albertina Square, in front of the Mons des Arts in the city centre.
Besides expressing solidarity, the mobilisation aims to once again demand the release of Vandecasteele, who has been in an Iranian cell since early 2022 and has been sentenced to 40 years in prison, 74 lashes and a $1 million fine after what is widely considered a sham trial.
"While Olivier is 'celebrating' his birthday on 19 January (today) on his own in an isolation cell, in deplorable conditions with no prospect of release, we call on people to show their support for him en masse and urge the Belgian authorities to do what is possible to bring him back," said Olivier Van Steirtegem, spokesperson of the Olivier Vandecasteele Support Committee.
During the demonstration, Vandecasteele's family members, friends and former colleagues will speak, as will representatives of Amnesty International. Additionally, gloves, hats, jumpers and scarves will be collected by the organisers, who will then donate them to the Plateforme Citoyenne - BelRefugees - Citizens platform.
Drawing attention to the case
"Olivier told his family that he is terribly cold in his cell. With this collection of gloves and hats, we want to symbolically demand access to more warmth and an improvement in his detention conditions," Van Steirtegem explained.
Posters calling for Vandecasteele's release and providing more information on his situation will also be distributed. On them, a URL and a QR code will provide easy access to Amnesty International's petition.
"It is great to see how people in Belgium sympathise with Olivier Vandecasteele and his loved ones. In total, more than 130,000 people have already signed the petition," Amnesty International Flanders' director Wies De Graeve said. "We will continue to campaign in the coming weeks to put even more pressure on the Iranian authorities. The more signatures, the more weight Olivier Vandecasteele's case will carry."
Related News
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- Forty years in prison, 74 lashes and $1 million: What is happening to the Belgian aid worker in Iran?
In addition to the immediate release of Vandecasteele, Amnesty International continues to demand that the Iranian authorities disclose the location of his detention, ensure that he is not subjected to further torture or other ill-treatment – including by immediately removing him from solitary confinement – and that he receives appropriate medical care.
The human rights organisation also insists that he should be able to call his family on a regular basis, be assisted by a lawyer of his own choosing and be able to count on consular assistance.
More information about Vandecasteele's situation can be found here.
