Save Dr. Ahmadreza Djalali, imprisoned for nine years
Posted April 25, 2025
Scholars at Risk sent the below letter to Swedish authorities, urging them to secure the immediate release of Dr. Ahmadreza Djalali. Take action by signing a letter here and read SAR’s recent interview with Dr. Djalali’s wife and daughter here.
Via email
The Honorable Ulf Kristersson
Prime Minister of Sweden
April 25, 2025
Save Dr. Ahmadreza Djalali, imprisoned for nine years
Your Excellency:
I write on behalf of Scholars at Risk to respectfully urge you to do everything in your power to secure the immediate release of Dr. Ahmadreza Djalali, an Iranian-Swedish scholar of disaster medicine and lecturer at Vrije Universiteit Brussel, who has been wrongfully sentenced to death in Iran.
Scholars at Risk (SAR) is an international network of more than 600 universities and colleges in over 40 countries dedicated to protecting the human rights of scholars around the world, and to raising awareness, understanding of, and respect for the principles of academic freedom and its constituent freedoms of expression, opinion, thought, association, and travel.
As of this April 26, Dr. Djalali has endured nine years in Evin Prison under cruel and inhumane conditions, including torture and continuous threats of imminent execution. SAR understands from Dr. Djalali’s wife, Vida Mehrannia, that, due to a pattern of limited communication and threats of execution by Iranian authorities, she fears Iran may execute Dr. Djalali without warning. SAR understands that Dr. Djalali’s health has deteriorated further due to lack of medical support and care.
As you know, Iran has a long history of detaining dual and foreign nationals and using them as leverage. Human rights organizations have raised concerns that Dr. Djalali is being held hostage to compel third parties to swap him for former Iranian officials convicted or facing prosecution abroad and deter them from prosecuting other Iranian officials.
SAR appreciates Sweden’s stated commitments to support Dr. Djalali; however, we cannot overly stress the urgent need to do everything in your power to prevent Dr. Djalali’s execution and secure his release and safe return to Sweden as soon as possible. The past nine years have been torturous for Dr. Djalali and his family, and they shouldn’t have to endure this nightmare any longer. SAR respectfully urges you to act now.
We thank you for your attention to this life-and-death matter and look forward to your reply.
Sincerely,
Robert Quinn
Executive Director
CC:
The Honorable Maria Malmer Stenergard
Minister for Foreign Affairs
The Government of Sweden
The Honorable Roberta Metsola
President of the European Parliament
The Honorable Ursula von der Leyen
President of the European Commission
The Honorable António Costa
President of the European Council
The Honorable Kaja Kallas
High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy of the European Commission
The Honorable Mai Sato
Special Rapporteur on the situation of human rights in the Islamic Republic of Iran
The Honorable António Guterres
Secretary-General of the United Nations
The Honorable Volker Türk
High Commissioner for Human Rights
The Honorable Michael O’Flaherty
Commissioner for Human Rights of the Council of Europe