The prisoner swap was mediated by Oman, Sweden’s country’s foreign ministry said in a statement.

Commenting on the swap, a coalition of opposition groups in Iran said the release of Nouri “only emboldens the mullahs’ regime, its torturers and executioners to continue their genocide and crimes against humanity.”

The Secretariat of the National Council of Resistance of Iran went on to say: “[I]t will embolden the religious fascism to step up terrorism, hostage-taking, and blackmail.”

Hadi Ghaemi, CHRI’s Executive Director of The Centre for Human Rights in Iran (CHRI), echoed the criticism.

“Bilateral deals that countries make with the Islamic Republic to free foreign and dual nationals who were illegally abducted and imprisoned by Iran for use as bargaining chips send a clear message to Tehran: take our citizens and then name your price, we’ll pay.”

He said the deal “rewards the Islamic Republic for its hostage-taking and encourages Iran to continue its lucrative hostage trade”.

The swap follows the release of five US-Iranian citizens last year in exchange for the release of $6 billion in frozen funds held in South Korea.