After being detained for almost two years, the 60-year-old was charged on Tuesday, suspected of having played a leading role in the executions of thousands of political prisoners.
The investigation into the man's involvement in what happened in the summer of 1988 in Iran has required a lot of time.
- This is the first time it has been tried in the whole world.
It has been extensive to find evidence, both for what happened but also to hear the plaintiffs and witnesses who were at the scene, says Kristina Lindhoff Carleson.
Eight months trial
The 60-year-old is suspected of having been a lawyer connected to the Gohardasht prison in Karaj in Iran, where the prisoners sat before they were executed.
There, the man must have been involved by choosing which prisoners would be brought before a court-like commission, among many Iranians called the "death commission".
During the trial, more than 70 people will be heard.
- It is partly about witnesses who have been to the prison, which is the crime scene itself.
Then there are plaintiffs who have relatives who have been at the scene, says Kristina Lindhoff Carleson.
The trial will begin in two weeks, which is expected to last until April next year.
The 60-year-old is charged with a serious violation of international law, also known as a war crime, and several murders.
- It is one of the most serious crimes that exists, both internationally and within Swedish law, says Kristina Lindhoff Carleson.
Denies crime
The 60-year-old himself has constantly denied any wrongdoing and claimed after the arrest in November 2019 that he had taken the wrong person.
His lawyer Thomas Söderqvist thinks it is unfortunate that his client has been in custody for over 1.5 years.
- It's hard to be in custody for such a long time, so it's very unfortunate that it took so long.
But his attitude is that he has no involvement in the executions in Iran, says Thomas Söderqvist.