Olivier Vandecasteele – the Belgian aid worker who recently returned home after being detained in Iran for more than a year – is due to meet the King of Belgium at the Royal Castle of Laeken on Tuesday afternoon.
The news follows reports that King Philippe had telephoned the freshly-liberated Vandecasteele while the latter was en route to Belgium on Friday. "The King had a telephone conversation with Mr Olivier Vandecasteele during his trip to Belgium," the Belgian Royal Palace tweeted. "Thank you to everyone who worked to bring him home."
After working as an aid worker in Iran for more than six years, Vandecasteele was arrested by the Iranian authorities on 24 February 2022. He was subsequently charged with "espionage" and "thwarting national security": allegations which the Federal Government claims were "fabricated".
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After months of Oman-brokered negotiations between Brussels and Tehran, Vandecasteele was swapped for Assadollah Assadi – an Iranian diplomat sentenced to 20 years in jail in Belgium for plotting a foiled terror attack in Paris – in Oman on Friday.
Vandecasteele was then flown to Melsbroek Air Base, just northeast of Brussels, where he was welcomed by his family and his loved ones, as well as Prime Minister Alexander De Croo and Foreign Minister Hadja Lahbib. His friends later informed reporters that, although Vandecasteele lost 30 kilogrammes during his 455 days in prison, he still remains "mentally strong".
