Letter to the European Parliament; Nasrin Sotoudeh Expresses Concern Over Ahmadreza Jalali's Death Row Status

Nasrin Sotoudeh, a human rights lawyer and Sakharov Prize winner, expressed concern in a letter to the European Parliament on Tuesday, July 9, regarding the situation of Ahmadreza Jalali, a dual Iranian-Swedish national facing execution in Iran. In her letter, Ms. Sotoudeh noted that Ahmadreza Jalali, an Iranian-Swedish doctor sentenced to death, has been imprisoned in Iran for years, stating that the treatment he receives in prison is not much different from the execution of his sentence. According to Ms. Sotoudeh, Ahmadreza Jalali has been transferred to solitary confinement three times for the execution of his sentence, the last time coinciding with the start of Hamid Nouri's trial in Sweden. The Sakharov Prize laureate, in another part of her letter, referred to the 'surprising' exchange of two Swedish hostages held in Iran for Hamid Nouri, who was sentenced to life imprisonment in Sweden, reminding that Ahmadreza Jalali, sentenced to death, remains in the Islamic Republic's prison. Nasrin Sotoudeh described the Swedish government's indifference to Ahmadreza Jalali during negotiations with the Islamic Republic regarding the release of two Swedish prisoners in Iran as 'regrettable, concerning, and a clear discrimination.' She added, 'This duality in Sweden's behavior has made me more determined to reach out to the European Parliament based on my human and human rights duty; a parliament founded on the philosophy of respecting the Universal Declaration of Human Rights.' In her letter, Ms. Sotoudeh urged the European Parliament to utilize all its official and legal capacities to secure Ahmadreza Jalali's release. She added that as a mother and woman, she feels 'solidarity and sympathy' with Ahmadreza Jalali's mother, children, and wife, and asked the European Parliament to understand their situation and strive for the freedom of this Iranian-Swedish doctor. Nasrin Sotoudeh also stated that as an Iranian citizen and lawyer, she feels 'ashamed' of the Islamic Republic's hostage-taking policy, asserting that the regime uses hostage-taking to advance its political objectives. Ms. Sotoudeh concluded by calling for a way to prevent such 'irresponsible behaviors' from recurring in the future. A copy of this letter has been sent to the UN Human Rights Council, Amnesty International, the International Federation for Human Rights, and the Swedish Foreign Ministry. Campaign by Amnesty International for the release of Ahmadreza Jalali Ahmadreza Jalali, an Iranian-Swedish doctor, was arrested in the spring of 2016 after being invited to Tehran for a lecture by the University of Tehran. Iranian judicial authorities sentenced Ahmadreza Jalali to death on charges of 'espionage.' Mr. Jalali and his wife have repeatedly denied these accusations. This dual national prisoner had previously gone on hunger strike in protest against the court's ruling and the risk of execution. Recently, Ahmadreza Jalali criticized in an audio file directed at Swedish Prime Minister Ulf Kristersson that he was 'left alone' during the prisoner exchange in Iran. He emphasized that the release of Johan Flodros, a Swedish citizen, and Saeed Azizi, a dual Iranian-Swedish citizen held in the Islamic Republic's prisons, who were exchanged for Hamid Nouri, indicates that 'I believe my remaining in Iran is a clear discrimination.' Hamid Nouri, a former deputy warden of Gohardasht prison, was sentenced to life imprisonment by the Swedish Supreme Court for involvement in the execution of thousands of political prisoners in the 1980s, which is the highest penalty under Swedish law. The release of Hamid Nouri and his return to Iran sparked a wave of protests and public outrage among Iranians and widespread reactions from political and human rights figures. Amnesty International has warned of the risk of Ahmadreza Jalali's execution.