Distraught family of a Belgian national held in Iran appealed to their government on Tuesday to do its utmost to get him freed after he was sentenced to 40 years in prison and 74 lashes on charges including spying that Brussels has denounced as fake.
The sentence imposed on aid worker Olivier Vandecasteele, reported by the semi-official Tasnim news agency, was more severe than the 28-year term Belgium had reported in December.
Vandecasteele was convicted of four charges including espionage against the Islamic Republic, cooperating with Tehran's arch-foe the United States, currency smuggling and money laundering, Tasnim reported.
