More than 80 supporters have gathered to raise awareness of the plight of a former Oxford student who they say has been jailed unlawfully in Iran. 

Johan Floderus, read Politics, Philosophy and Economics at Harris Manchester College at Oxford before the Swedish national became an EU diplomat. 

He has now been detained in Evin prison since April 2022 under conditions tantamount to torture enduring 777 days of arbitrary detention, including more than 300 days in solitary confinement.

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The graduate was a tourist visiting friends in Tehran during the Easter Break in 2022, when he was arrested at the airport on his way home.

He has never been sentenced despite facing espionage related charges.

Mr Floderus has recently verbally dictated a letter to his consular representative in a rare meeting granted on May 29. 

One of Mr Floderus' best friends Emily Atkinson said: "He requested on a two-minute call with his parents for me to read it aloud at the event.

Oxford Mail: Protesters marched through Oxford to raise awareness of Johan Floderus' situation Protesters marched through Oxford to raise awareness of Johan Floderus' situation (Image: Free Johan Floderus)
"To me it felt like an important act of self-definition and freedom, his voice from behind four cell walls, and an opportunity for him to take an imaginative adventure when addressing an Oxford audience.

"It was a message of hope, with some remarkable examples of his typical courage, wit and humour."

Ms Atkinson said, from speaking to one of Johan's former cellmates - Belgian air worker Olivier Vandecasteele, that the pair had "compressed the dough from breadcrumbs into dice so they could occupy their minds from the monotony". 

She said the "dice" were later confiscated - and that "the point is to break your spirit". 

On June 1, more than 80 supporters gathered to raise awareness for Mr Floderus, walking silently from Harris Manchester College to Broad Street with a banner.

The FreeJohanFloderus campaign offers several ways to help through their website, encouraging people to sign petitions to free Mr Floderus, follow and share content on social media and to write to their local MP,  MEP, and the Swedish Government to advocate for Mr Floderus' release. 

Oxford Mail: Protesters marched through Oxford to raise awareness of Johan's plight.Nazanin Zaghari-Ratcliffe, who was detained in Iran for six years, including time at Evin prison, attended the vigil and spoke out to support Johan.

Her husband, Richard Ratcliffe, whose relentless advocacy included hunger strikes outside the Iranian Embassy and the Foreign Office in London, emphasised the importance of hope and public support. 

Ms Atkinson told the crowds: "Johan spends each day in a tiny three by two cell with no window, no bed, and 24-hour fluorescent lighting."

"He gets arbitrary, half-hour glimpses of light in a courtyard a couple of times a week.

"He never really knows when he will be allowed to speak to anyone.

"The weight has been falling off him from all the hunger strikes just to be able to make one call to his family." 

The group has called on the Swedish government, EU institutions and the UK government to use all available means of advocacy and diplomacy to secure Mr Floderus' prompt release.