Ahmad Reza Djalali

On 18 March 2021 UN human rights experts demanded his immediate release as his condition has become critical. The experts said “Djalali’s situation is truly horrific. He has been held in prolonged solitary confinement for over 100 days with the constant risk of his imminent execution laying over his head,” and he is being deprived of sleep by prison officials shining lights on him 24 hours a day.

In December 2020 he was offered a fellowship by Harvard, following his acceptance into the BIDMC Fellowship in Disaster Medicine. The position at BIDMC includes an academic appointment as a Research Fellow at Harvard Medical School. In the award letter, Gregory R. Ciottone, Director of the Division of Disaster Medicine, described Djalali as “a strong academician and leader. As a Disaster Medicine fellow, you will represent all of us through your academic diligence, professionalism, and conduct.”

In November 2020, Djalali was transferred to solitary confinement in Evin prison. Prosecution authorities informed Amnesty International that Djalali's death sentence was now a matter of weeks from 24 November and would be carried out imminently. UN rights experts called on Iranian authorities to quash the death sentence of Djalali. Amnesty urged members of the international community to intervene immediately into the matter to halt the execution.

In the Report of the Special Rapporteur on the situation of human rights in the Islamic Republic of Iran 2020, it is underlined that "the security and intelligence officials, including the Ministry of Intelligence and the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, have in many cases prevented access to medical care for detainees and prisoners, or made medical attention or transfers to hospital conditional upon confession." In addition, the Special Rapporteur is concerned about the practice of publicizing forced confession: "Ahmadreza Djalali, a Swedish-Iranian academic, had his confession to spying on the Islamic Republic of Iran broadcast on State television in December 2017, five days after the Supreme Court had upheld his death sentence through a hastily convened and secret process during which no submissions from the defence had been allowed". It is reported Djalali recorded the confession under duress, after his interrogators had said that he would be released from solitary confinement only if he recorded the confession.

On 6 October 2020, the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Michelle Bachelet expressed deep concern at the deteriorating situation of human rights defenders, lawyers, and political prisoners being held in Iran's prisons. She called on the authorities to release them in the context of the COVID-19 pandemic pointing to the spread of disease in the country and unsanitary conditions within the prisons.

In 2019, the European Parliament adopted a resolution demanding that Djalali and four other EU citizens detained be released. MEPs demanded the immediate release of all EU-Iranian dual nationals, including Nazanin Zaghari-Ratcliffe (British), Ahmadreza Djalali (Swedish) and Kamran Ghaderi (Austrian), detained in Iranian prisons, unless they are retried according to international standards. On 17 December 2020 the European Parliament adopted a resolution (2020/2914(RSP)) which calls on Iran to quash his death sentence and secure his immediate release, as well as that of Nasrin Sotoudeh, woman human rights defender and lawyer.

The 2020 Nowruz Action is a campaign to support prisoners of conscience in Iran on the occasion of Iranian traditional new year festival. Amnesty encourages public audiences to send supporting messages to the prisoners and their families. Amnesty International selected seven cases of political prisoners and academic prisoners, among which was Djalali's case, to represent the Nowruz campaign.

Following news of Djalali's imminent execution in December 2020, Scholars at Risk mobilized universities across the world to call for a halt to his execution. The Italian conference of rectors sent a petition to the Ayatollah Khamenei to secure this release.

In the 2020 Annual report of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights and reports of the Office of the High Commissioner and the Secretary-General, it is stated that "There are persistent concerns about the situation of dual and foreign nationals who remain imprisoned in the Islamic Republic of Iran [...]. Iranian-Swedish citizen Ahmadreza Djalali, sentenced to death in October 2017 on espionage charges, was reportedly transferred on 29 July 2019 to an unknown location for approximately 10 days before being returned to Evin Prison. During that time, he was reportedly pressured to confess to further allegations. Djalali, along with other dual and foreign nationals, including Mr. Ghaderi, have been denied medical treatment, notably for life-threatening conditions."

Djalali's health condition has reportedly been deteriorating since his arrest. In particular, blood tests run in 2018 indicated a low white blood cell count. Subsequently, he was examined by a medical doctor in early 2019 at Evin Prison; he was recommended to be seen by a specialist in haematology in hospital, but this request was denied. The recommended follow-up examinations have not been done. Reportedly, Djalali has lost 24 kg since the time of his arrest. The World Medical Association has taken up his case and its president, Ketan Desai, wrote to the Iranian authorities saying that the conditions under which Djalali is being held contravene medical ethics and human rights law.

In November 2017, the United Nations Working Group on Arbitrary Detention formally requested the Iranian Government to provide detailed information about his detention and it did not receive a response. On 9 February 2018, United Nations human rights experts urgently called on Iran to lift the death sentence against Djalali.

In December 2018, 121 Nobel Laureates wrote an open letter to Iranian Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei to provide medical assistance for Djalali and ask for his release. In November 2020, following news of professor Djalali's imminent execution, 153 Nobel Laureates sent another letter to the Ayatollah calling for his release.

Scholars at Risk (SAR) is an international network of institutions and individuals to promote academic freedom and protect scholars from academic freedom threats. SAR has been engaging and pushing public campaigns to support Djalali, for example, by releasing letters to public authorities in Iran and conducting online activities via social networks. In January 2018, SAR published the campaign ‘#SaveAhmad’ through social media to exert pressures to public institutions to support Djalali's release. In March 2020, in response to the COVID-19 pandemic, SAR issued the letter to Iranian authorities to unconditionally release Djalali because of his health conditions.

Between 13 and 16 academic institutions in Sweden continued to pursue partnerships and exchange programs with Iranian counterparts after Iranian authorities had condemned Djalali to death. Simultaneously, some also pleaded for Iran to release Djalali. The institutions which pursued partnerships with Iranian institutions 2018 or later were:

In April 2018, Flemish University Council (VLIR) decided to postpone all academic cooperation with Iranian universities and institutions in response to Iranian authorities’ decision to imprison and lay down death sentences over Djalali, a professor of Brussel Free University. On this occasion, the Council expressed deep concerns about the professor's imprisonment and requested the Iranian authorities to provide him medical care.

On 31 January 2017, after nine months of detention, Djalali was taken to branch 15 of the Revolutionary Court in Tehran where he was formally charged with espionage and was told that he could face a death penalty. Reportedly, his lawyer was not allowed to be present at the hearing and he was denied access to the case files.

Djalali was sentenced to death on 21 October 2017, on the charge of “corruption on earth” (ifsad fil-arz). He was then incarcerated at Evin prison. In November 2017, the United Nations Working Group on Arbitrary Detention formally requested the Iranian Government to provide detailed information about his detention, but it did not receive a response. In late 2017, an Iranian state TV presented him as a spy and showed his alleged confession which, according to Djalali, was a pre-written text that he was forced to say under threats of execution, and even of harming his loved ones. Attempts by his lawyer to submit appeals for judicial review of the sentence have been rejected.

United Nations human rights experts appealed to Iran to annul the death sentence against Djalali for the first time during 2017. The experts were José Antonio Guevara Bermúdez, Chair-Rapporteur of the Working Group on Arbitrary Detention; Nils Melzer, Special Rapporteur on torture and other cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment or punishment; Agnes Callamard, Special Rapporteur on extrajudicial, summary or arbitrary executions; and Asma Jahangir, Special Rapporteur on the situation of human rights in the Islamic Republic of Iran.

They adopted the opinion No. 92/2017. On 18 September 2017, the Working Group transmitted allegations to the Government under its regular communications procedure but did not receive a response from the Iranian Government. This document argued that the deprivation of liberty of Djalali was in contravention of articles 3, 5, 8, 9, 10 and 11 of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights and of articles 7, 9, 10 and 14 of the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights and it states that Djalali should be released and accorded a right to compensation and other reparations, in accordance with international law. United Nations human rights experts repeated their urgent call in 2018.

In 2017, Amnesty International has launched the campaign to encourage public audiences to write a petition letter and submit to Iranian Supreme Leader Office, President of Iran, and Chief Justice of Iran (head of the Judiciary), to ask for an immediate release of Djalali, and a proper health medication, to ensure Djalali's safety, and his accessibility to lawyer and family, including the Swedish consular to meet him.

On 31 October 2017, the Università degli studi del Piemonte Orientale, the Karolinska University and the Vrije Universiteit Brussel sent a letter to the head of the judiciary of Iran, Sadegh Larijani asking for Djalali's immediate release. In the letter the universities recalled the excellent reputation of Djalali recalled the right to freedom of expression.

In November 2017, European University Association (EUA) put pressure on Iranian authorities for a reversal of Djalali's capital sentence and his instant release. The EUA wrote a letter to Iranian Supreme Leader, and expressed grave concerns about the ongoing harm to Djalali and his family.

Djalali was arrested in April 2016 in Iran and sentenced to death on the charges of espionage and treason, in what human rights organizations said to be "a grossly unfair trial." According to Djalali, he has been tortured and threatened during the period of his arrest.

Djalali's academic work in the field of disaster medicine has looked at issues related to emergency medicine in a range of contexts, such as Italy, Denmark, Sweden and Iran and has over 700 citations. He was a key figure in establishing the Università del Piemonte Orientale (CRIMEDIM) Research Center in Emergency and Disaster in Italy and has been part of important studies on the level of preparedness of hospitals for disasters. Published studies he co-authored have also looked at hospital preparedness for earthquakes, man-made conflicts, Chemical, biological, radiological, and nuclear (CBRN) emergencies and massive influxes of emergency patients. A 2016 study looked at the preparedness level of Emergency Departments of Italian hospitals by assessing the knowledge-base of emergency physicians on basic disaster planning and procedures. The study found a need to enhance staff disaster preparedness education, training and follow-up to ensure understanding and awareness of Emergency Plans. He has also contributed to the development of curricula for post-graduate courses on disaster medicine for undergraduates and postgraduates.

In April 2016, when he was visiting Iran, following an invitation from the University of Tehran and Shiraz University, he was arrested upon order of the Ministry of Intelligence and Security, without a reason for arrest. Two weeks later he was charged of espionage and collaboration with Israel, the proof being an alleged letter from his spouse, which was said to contain evidence of the accusations. His family was not informed on his whereabouts for ten days, though they knew he had been arrested. After being held at an unknown location for approximately seven days, he was transferred to section 209 of Evin prison, where he was held for seven months. During the calls made to his family, Djalali said he had been held in solitary confinement for three months, and the following months in partial isolation.

Ahmad Reza Djalali (Persian: احمدضا جلالی; born 15 September 1971) is an Iranian-Swedish disaster medicine doctor, lecturer, and researcher. He was accused of espionage and collaboration with Israel and sentenced to death. He has worked in several universities in Europe, among which Karolinska University of Sweden, where he had also attended his PhD program, Università degli Studi del Piemonte Orientale (Italy), Vrije Universiteit Brussel (Belgium). He also cooperated with universities in Iran and is in contact with universities worldwide.