Ahmad-Reza Jalali's Wife Expresses 'Disappointment' After Meeting with Swedish Foreign Minister

The wife of Ahmad-Reza Jalali, a dual-national prisoner facing the death penalty, expressed 'disappointment' after meeting with the Swedish Foreign Minister, aimed at urging him to secure her husband's freedom. Mr. Jalali, an Iranian-Swedish dual citizen and a medical sciences professor, was arrested in May 2016 in Iran and sentenced to death for 'spying for Israel.' His family, supporters, and human rights groups consider this accusation completely baseless. Vida Mehran-Nia, Jalali's wife, stated on Tuesday, July 2, after her meeting with Tobias Billström, the Swedish Foreign Minister, that they told her they would follow up on the matter but did not specify anything. She expressed great disappointment. During a prisoner exchange between the Swedish government and the Islamic Republic of Iran on June 16, Johan Flodros, a Swedish EU employee imprisoned in Iran since Spring 2021, and Saeed Azizi, arrested last Fall, were exchanged for Hamid Noury, a former deputy of Gohardasht prison who was tried and sentenced to life in prison in Sweden. However, Ahmad-Reza Jalali, who received Swedish citizenship in prison, was not released in this deal. Vida Mehran-Nia told reporters at a small gathering in support of her husband that 'his pulse is very weak. His blood pressure has dropped significantly. He suffers from multiple illnesses.' She added, 'I hope that after eight years and three months of my husband's imprisonment, the Swedish government will react to this issue.' She emphasized that she will continue to fight for her husband's freedom. Supporters of Ahmad-Reza Jalali and his wife chanted slogans in defense of his freedom at this small gathering, accusing the Swedish government of colluding with the 'dictatorial' regime in Iran and yielding to its conditions for Jalali's release. The Swedish government insists that it has made all necessary efforts for Ahmad-Reza Jalali's freedom during the prisoner exchange in June, but the Iranian government has refused to negotiate on this matter as it does not recognize his dual citizenship. After this meeting, the Swedish Foreign Minister stated, 'I deeply sympathize with the family's feelings of disappointment. However, I do not want to go into details about the discussions that took place in this meeting.' Earlier this year, the Iranian government executed Habib Kab, an Iranian-Swedish citizen who had been convicted of 'terrorism' in court, which drew a strong reaction from the Swedish government. According to human rights organizations, including Amnesty International, the annual number of executions in Iran is higher than any other country in the world except China.