The UN warns that the Swedish-Iranian researcher Ahmadreza Djalali’s death sentence in Iran could be carried out at any time. “Iran must stop this execution,” writes UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Volker Türk on X.
“Iran must stop this execution,” writes UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Volker Türk on X.
Türk also emphasizes the lack of a “fair trial” for Djalali, who was sentenced to death for espionage in Iran in 2017.
“A moratorium on all death sentences is required immediately,” he writes.
The human rights organization Amnesty issued a similar warning on Friday.
52-year-old Ahmadreza Djalali had then had the opportunity to call home to his wife from Evin Prison. The phone call took place, according to Amnesty, after he was told by an official from the Iranian judiciary that the death sentence was final and could be carried out at any time.
“Very worrying”
Meanwhile, a video of Djalali’s confession, which according to his defenders was coerced, has been shown on state Iranian television.
– It is very worrying. When Iranian authorities do this, it is often a sign that they are preparing for an execution. It is a way of justifying what you are doing to the Iranian people. It is also extra worrying because Ahmadreza himself has been told that the execution may take place, said Maja Åberg, an expert at Amnesty, to TT on Friday.
In the conversation with Djalali in prison, the official must have brought up the Svea Court of Appeal’s affirmative judgment against Iranian Hamid Noury on Tuesday. According to Amnesty, the person must have said that Sweden is holding Noury in prison in order to force Iran to release Djalali.
Noury is sentenced to life in prison for involvement in mass executions in an Iranian prison in 1988.