Time is running out for researcher sentenced to death
Swedish-Iranian researcher Ahmadreza Djalali, who has been imprisoned in Iran since 2016, is now at risk of having his death sentence carried out. Daniel Silander, researcher at Linnaeus University and Swedish committee member of Scholars at Risk (SAR) Europe, has worked intensely during the last few days to stop the Iranian authorities from carrying out the execution.
Ahmadreza Djalali is a medical doctor and researcher in disaster medicine, formerly at Karolinska institutet. He was arrested in 2016 by the Iranian intelligence service when he was attending a conference in Teheran, to which he had been invited to give a lecture. Djalali was accused of espionage and sentenced to death in 2017.
The case has received a lot of attention from many human rights organisations that have been working in different ways to make the Iranian authorities cancel the death penalty and set Djalali free. This Tuesday, Ahmadreza Djalali sent word that he will be moved from the Evin prison in Teheran.
This is most likely a bad sign, according to Daniel Silander from Linnaeus University who is committee member of Scholars At Risk Europe (SAR) - European Advocacy Committee for Academic Freedom, an international network that works for academic freedom.
“Such a prison move indicates that the authorities intend to carry out the death sentence. We work intensely to acquire more information about Ahmadreza Djalali and to find out whether the information stating that the death sentence is about to be carried out is correct”.
The information about the move came late this Tuesday. Daniel Silander received a call from Amnesty International in Stockholm through which he was informed that Djalali, according to his wife, had called her to say a final goodbye.
At a visit to the Evin prison on Wednesday, Ahmadreza’s lawyer reportedly got to see a document confirming that the death sentence will be carried out.
“During the last 24 hours, many people have been working to bring some clarity to this. Karolinska institutet, SAR Sweden, SAR Europe, Amnesty International and politicians in Sweden and the European Parliament are trying in every way they can to influence the Iranian regime.
The Swedish Minster for Foreign Affairs, Ann Linde (S), is committed to the case and been in contact with the Iranian Minster for Foreign Affairs. Both the EU and the UN have demanded that Djalali is set free.
“SAR Sweden has written directly to the Ministry for Foreign Affairs and to members of the European Parliament to do everything we can to help Ahmadreza Djalali and his family”, says Daniel Silander.
Linnaeus University’s vice-chancellor Peter Aronsson has kept a close eye on the development since the start and reacts with dismay to the new information.
“All our thoughts go to Ahmadreza Djalali and his family as we hope that the Iranian authorities will come their senses. Academic freedom is the foundation stone of good societal development. Every attack on academic freedom undermines democracy, our human rights, and the free creation of knowledge. We support every effort to make the Iranian regime respect these values”, says Peter Aronsson.
Amnesty International is currently working intensely to get an urgent action into place; that is to say, instructions on how anyone interested in engaging can act to put pressure on the Iranian authorities to stop the execution and cancel the death penalty.
Djalali, his wife and their two children are Swedish citizens and have been living in Sweden since 2009.