The latest status of the case of Ahmad Reza Jalali, a doctor imprisoned in Iran, in conversation with his wife
The wife of Iranian-Swedish imprisoned physician Ahmad Reza Jalali says that despite the lawyer's third request for a retrial, no change has been made in Mr. Jalali's case.
Vida Mehrannia, the wife of imprisoned physician Ahmad Reza Jalali, told VOA on Wednesday, February 7, "Ahmad Reza Jalali is not in good physical condition and has lost 30 kilograms of weight due to numerous illnesses such as anemia and hernia."
He told VOA that as Mr. Jalali's physical condition worsened on November 17, prison officials transferred him to Taleghani Hospital in Tehran at night. The next day, after surgery, he was transferred to Ward 4 of Evin Prison, even though he needed care. This caused the stitches to come loose and Mr. Jalali to need another operation.
According to Vida Mehrannia, based on blood tests taken from Ahmad Reza Jalali and an examination by an internal medicine specialist at the prison's health center, the bone marrow is severely damaged and suspected of leukemia.
He said that on Sunday, November 4, Ahmad Reza Jalali was supposed to be transferred to the cancer ward of a hospital in Tehran for treatment, but prison officials refused to send him to the hospital.
From Sweden to Evin
Mr. Jalali, who had temporary residency in Sweden and was collaborating with several European universities, was arrested and imprisoned about two years ago when he traveled to Iran at the invitation of the University of Tehran. In a video broadcast last February by the Islamic Republic of Iran Broadcasting, he confessed to providing information about two assassinated Iranian nuclear scientists to the Israeli spy agency. This is despite the fact that Iran had previously executed another person on charges of assassinating these scientists.
Iran's Revolutionary Court sentenced Mr. Jalali to death for passing classified information to Mossad at the height of Iran's nuclear program, and the Supreme Court rejected his appeal for a review of the verdict in less than an hour. His lawyer, however, has requested a retrial.
Mr. Jalali's death sentence and the release of his confessions drew criticism from human rights organizations and UN human rights experts.
Vida Mehrannia said: "Ahmadreza Jalali is innocent and my children and I have not met him for three years. We are asking the Iranian authorities to review his case, we hope he will be released and returned to his family."
Ms. Mehrannia told VOA that the Swedish Foreign Ministry has been following Mr. Jalali's case during this time and that the Swedish ambassador to Iran has requested a meeting with him several times, but has not been granted.
He said that the governments of Italy and Belgium have also requested that the Iranian government review Ahmad Reza Jalali's case, but to date, their requests have not been responded to.
Also this year, 124 Nobel Peace Prize winners sent a letter to Mr. Khamenei, requesting the release of Ahmad Reza Jalali from the Iranian leader.
Source: Voice of America
