Ahmadreza Jalali in a Voice Message from Prison: My Situation Does Not Matter to the Swedish Government

Ahmadreza Jalali, a dual Iranian-Swedish citizen sentenced to death in Iran, accused the Swedish government in a voice message of making no efforts to secure his freedom. Jalali, a physician and researcher, was arrested in 2016 after attending a scientific conference in Tehran. His message was released shortly after the release of Nahid Taghavi, a dual Iranian-German citizen, and Cecilia Sala, an Italian journalist, from Iran. In late July of this year, the Iranian government freed two imprisoned Swedish citizens in exchange for the release of Hamid Nouri, alias 'Hamid Abasi,' a deputy prosecutor during the mass executions of political prisoners in the summer of 1988. Johan Flodros, a European Union diplomatic staff member, was detained on April 17, 2022, at the end of a 'tourist trip' when leaving Iran, and Saeed Azizi was arrested in fall 2023. Jalali's wife expressed 'disappointment' after meeting with the Swedish Foreign Minister. In part of the voice message, which was provided to AFP by his wife Vida Mehran-Nia on January 15, Jalali stated: 'Swedish officials are aware of my situation, but nothing has been done to improve my conditions. It seems that what could happen to me as a Swedish citizen, the risk of death due to execution or deterioration of my health, is of no concern to Swedish officials.' In another part of the message, released on the occasion of his 53rd birthday, he added: 'It seems that because of my dual nationality, I am considered a second-class citizen.' Swedish Foreign Minister Maria Malmer Stenergard told AFP: 'We have repeatedly told the Iranian government that the death penalty should not be carried out against Mr. Jalali under any circumstances.' The Swedish government has emphasized in recent months that alongside negotiations and diplomatic efforts that led to the release of Johan Flodros and Saeed Azizi, it also sought to guarantee Ahmadreza Jalali's freedom. The Foreign Minister added: 'Unfortunately, the Iranian government did not want to negotiate at all regarding Mr. Jalali. They do not recognize his Swedish citizenship because he only had Iranian citizenship at the time of his arrest.' The Islamic Republic typically arrests dual citizens and foreign nationals on charges such as 'acting against national security' and 'espionage,' but does not provide clear evidence to substantiate these accusations. Human rights activists and European governments believe that the Islamic Republic uses these prisoners as hostages for bargaining and gaining concessions. According to human rights activists, prisoner exchanges with Iran will perpetuate the 'hostage-taking policy,' and the international community must adopt other methods to secure the release of these prisoners.