Olivier Vandecasteele
Belgian aid worker
Olivier Vandecasteele is a Belgian humanitarian aid worker who was arrested and taken state hostage in Iran on 24 February 2022. Following a trial, he was firstly sentenced to 28 years in December 2022, then sentenced to 40 years in prison and 74 lashes in January 2023.2
From Wikipedia’s article on Olivier Vandecasteele (this version), CC BY-SA 4.0.
Born Jan 19, 1981.1
About
Victim of "Hostage Diplomacy", Vandecasteele was kept hostage "in unbearable conditions" in Iran for 456 days. He was released on 26 May 2023. His case is considered to be "a flagrant violation of international law" following the United Nations and Amnesty International.
In 2024, he founded "Protect Humanitarians", an independent and neutral NGO which aims to advocate for a better protection of humanitarian aid workers around the world.
From Wikipedia’s article on Olivier Vandecasteele, shared under CC BY-SA 4.0.2
Companies
- Norwegian Refugee CouncilChief operating officer 2015 to now14
Career
Occupation: humanitarian, human rights defender.4
- 2020 to 2021Chief operating officer, Relief International3
- Since 2015Chief operating officer, Norwegian Refugee Council3
- Date not recordedWorked at Doctors of the World International Network3
Since at least 2004, Olivier Vandecasteele has worked for international humanitarian organisations, including Médecins du Monde and Norwegian Refugee Council (NRC). He has worked in India, Afghanistan, Morocco, Iran and Mali. In 2015, he became Country Director of NRC's Iran Operations where he was in charge of programs aimed to improve the living conditions of Afghan refugees (2 to 3 million). During the COVID-19 pandemic, together with his teams, he distributed widely humanitarian aid.
In 2024, Olivier Vandecasteele founded the NGO "Protect Humanitarians" which aims to advocate for a better protection of humanitarian aid workers around the world.
From Wikipedia’s article on Olivier Vandecasteele (this version), CC BY-SA 4.0.
Personal life
Philanthropy
Protect Humanitarians
In 2024, Olivier Vandecasteele founded the NGO "Protect Humanitarians" which aims to advocate for better protection and support of humanitarian personnel. Through a dedicated emergency fund, Protect Humanitarians provides concrete support to NGOs and their staff, survivors of attacks and/or victims’ relatives. The NGO also develops research and learning to promote best practices in staff care, mental health and legal assistance to survivors after incidents.
The Obama Foundation
Olivier Vandecasteele (alongside fellow citizens Adélaide Charlier and Wietse Van Ransbeeck) is part of the 2025-2026 cohort of the "Leaders Europe" program from the Obama Foundation. Along with 200 other selectees, Olivier Vandecasteele will undergo six months of training on leadership and civic engagement (Source: De Morgen - September 18/19, 2025).
From Wikipedia’s article on Olivier Vandecasteele (this version), CC BY-SA 4.0.
Awards
Links
Sources
The numbers on this page point here. Each one links to the record it came from.
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- 2WikipediaOlivier Vandecasteele on Wikipedia
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- 6Wikidataplace of birth, as reported
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- 9Wikidataaward, as reported
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- 15Wikimedia CommonsOlivier Vandecasteele photo by Sidney.Cortez, CC BY-SA 4.0