Human Rights Campaign: All Countries Must Pressure Iran for Ahmadreza Jalali's Freedom

The Iran Human Rights Campaign stated that the case of Ahmadreza Jalali, a dual-national prisoner, should be prioritized in all interactions with the Islamic Republic, making his freedom non-negotiable. Jalali, an Iranian-Swedish doctor and researcher, has been imprisoned in Iran for nearly nine years and faces the death penalty. On January 15, he sent a voice message from Evin Prison accusing the Swedish government of making no efforts for his release. Hadi Ghaemi, the executive director of the Iran Human Rights Campaign, called on world governments to hold Iranian officials accountable for their continued policy of extortion and hostage-taking. The campaign also warned that Jalali's long-term imprisonment and imminent execution risk not only represent injustice to an individual but also serve as a serious warning to academics and professionals worldwide. In his recent voice message, Jalali stated, 'Swedish officials are aware of my situation, but nothing has been done to improve my conditions. It seems that what may happen to me as a Swedish citizen, the risk of execution or deterioration of my health, does not matter to Swedish officials.' The Iran Human Rights Campaign has urged international organizations, including the United Nations and the European Union, to exert 'necessary and comprehensive pressure' on the Islamic Republic for Jalali's release, emphasizing that 'the security and freedom of any human being should not be sacrificed or overlooked in the context of diplomatic bargaining or political-economic considerations.' Jalali mentioned that the Swedish government 'apparently considers me a second-class citizen due to my dual nationality,' but the Swedish Foreign Minister responded that 'unfortunately, the Iranian government did not want to negotiate regarding Mr. Jalali at all. They do not recognize his Swedish citizenship because he only held Iranian citizenship at the time of his arrest.' Ahmadreza Jalali traveled to Iran in 2016 at the invitation of Tehran University and Shiraz University, was arrested after participating in a scientific conference in Tehran, and was subsequently sentenced to death on charges of espionage. The Islamic Republic typically detains dual-national Iranian citizens and foreign nationals on charges such as 'actions 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.