UN Warns of Imminent Execution of Ahmadreza Jalali

On Saturday, December 23, the United Nations warned that Ahmadreza Jalali, an Iranian-Swedish citizen imprisoned in Iran, is at risk of execution following the confirmation of Hamid Nouri's sentence in a court in Sweden. Volker Turk, the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights, stated on social media platform X (formerly Twitter): "The distressing news is that Dr. Ahmadreza Jalali may soon be executed on charges of waging war against God, contrary to fair trial standards and despite shortcomings in conducting a fair trial. Iran must halt his execution. All death sentences in Iran must be stopped immediately." Amnesty International also warned on Friday, December 22, that Jalali is particularly "at risk of imminent retaliatory execution" because the court confirmed Nouri's life sentence for crimes committed during the purging of opponents in 1988. Ahmadreza Jalali, an Iranian-Swedish citizen, physician, and university professor, was arrested by intelligence agents in May 2016 while traveling to Iran to attend a scientific conference. The Tehran prosecutor announced his death sentence on October 24, 2017. Ned Price, former spokesperson for the US State Department, reacted to Jalali's death sentence, stating that Washington is working with its allies to find a comprehensive solution regarding the detention of citizens from other countries in Iran. Price noted that the US is closely monitoring Ahmadreza Jalali's case, and his name appears in the US State Department's human rights report on Iran. The United States and many Western countries accuse the Islamic Republic of unjustly detaining foreign citizens for political leverage. Diana Tahavi, Deputy Director for the Middle East and North Africa at Amnesty International, referred to alarming developments indicating that Ahmadreza Jalali is at serious risk of execution, highlighting the significant increase in executions in Iran since November. She stated that evidence suggests that Iranian officials intend to execute Ahmadreza Jalali in retaliation for unmet demands and to divert the course of justice in Sweden. Amnesty International claims that the "cruel game" with Ahmadreza Jalali's life, occurring right after Hamid Nouri's conviction and life sentence in Sweden, has fueled concerns about his being taken hostage to force Sweden into a prisoner exchange. The statement from Amnesty International also noted the alarming rise in execution statistics in Iran, with at least 115 people executed in November alone. The UN General Assembly approved a resolution proposed by Canada condemning widespread human rights violations by the Islamic Republic on the evening of December 19, with a majority vote. Previously, on October 24, Javide Rahman, the UN Special Rapporteur on the situation of human rights in Iran, presented a report on the human rights situation in Iran to the General Assembly and its Third Committee, stating that the report depicts the "bitter reality" of human rights in Iran. Jalali is not the only Swede imprisoned in Iran. Johan Flodros, a 33-year-old EU diplomat, was arrested in Iran last spring while Nouri's trial was ongoing in Stockholm and has now been in prison for over 600 days. The Iranian judiciary announced on Wednesday, December 20, the formation of the third court session for Flodros on charges of "corruption on earth."