The Ministry of Intelligence's Promise for a Re-examination of Ahmadreza Jalali's Case, a Prisoner Doctor

An informed source regarding Ahmadreza Jalali's case, a researcher and imprisoned doctor in Iran, has informed Radio Farda that a Ministry of Intelligence official recently told Mr. Jalali that 'his case will be re-examined.' Previously, Vida Mehran-Nia, Ahmadreza Jalali's wife, and Amnesty International had announced that Judge Abolqasem Salavati, head of Branch 15 of the Islamic Revolutionary Court in Tehran, had verbally told this imprisoned researcher that he would be sentenced to death on charges such as 'espionage' or 'collaboration with enemy countries.' However, this informed source has now told Radio Farda that 'a Ministry of Intelligence official' told Ahmadreza Jalali on Tuesday, February 8, in Evin Prison that 'his case will be re-examined.' Ahmadreza Jalali is a doctor and researcher residing in Sweden who collaborates with the University of Piemonte in Italy in the field of crisis management. In recent years, he traveled to Iran several times at the invitation of scientific and academic institutions to participate in research and scientific programs, until he was arrested last on May 25 of this year in Tehran. Mr. Jalali was then held in solitary confinement for about seven months. This imprisoned researcher and doctor has been on a hunger strike for over 40 days in protest against the handling of his case. Nizar Zaka, a Lebanese citizen residing in the United States, is also a technology activist who traveled to Iran at the invitation of government institutions but was arrested in November 2015. The Mizan news agency, affiliated with the judiciary, reported that Mr. Zaka was sentenced to 10 years in prison on charges of collaborating with the U.S. government. The lawyer of this Lebanese citizen also announced some time ago that his client had gone on a hunger strike in protest against his conviction.