Threat to execute Iranian-Swedish researcher is intended to thwart Hamid Nouri's trial

The Iranian government's goal in publicly threatening to execute Dr. Ahmad Reza Jalali, a researcher and professor at the Iranian-Swedish University, at the end of this month (May 1402), is to nullify the trial in the Swedish court of Hamid Nouri, a former judicial official and one of the perpetrators of the 1988 executions, who is accused of crimes and murder.

Hadi Ghaemi, director of the Human Rights Campaign in Iran, pointed out that the behavior of the Islamic Republic government is a clear example of blackmail and hostage-taking, saying: "Such behavior is an intimidation tactic aimed at disrupting the fair trial of an individual accused of widespread human rights violations."

According to Hadi Ghaemi, "Iranian authorities are accustomed to violating rights with impunity in their country, and now, by threatening to sacrifice the life of a hostage, they are trying to force an independent court to fulfill their demands."

Ghaemi added: "For years, the Iranian government has been placing dual-national citizens in a security and judicial fence in order to use these citizens as human bargaining tools when necessary, and now, by threatening to take the life of one of these imprisoned dual-national citizens, it is seeking to create immunity for one of its officials."

Hadi Ghaemi said: "The international community must loudly condemn this criminal behavior."

Dr. Ahmadreza Jalali is a researcher and professor at a Swedish university of Iranian origin whose specialty is crisis and emergency management. Mr. Jalali was arrested by the Ministry of Intelligence on 25th Ardabi-e-Hasht 2016 after traveling to Iran to attend a scientific conference and was sent to Evin Prison.

Ahmadreza Jalali was forced to endure months of solitary confinement and was denied access to a lawyer. Under intense pressure and torture, he was forced to make fabricated confessions, parts of which were broadcast on Iranian state television.

In a letter he wrote later from prison, Ahmadreza Jalali emphasized that he had not had access to a lawyer and that the Islamic Republic of Iran's Ministry of Intelligence had pressured him to spy and had been forced to make false televised confessions after he refused to cooperate with them.

Ahmad Reza Jalali was tried and sentenced to death on charges of espionage in a closed and secret trial in Tehran, lacking minimal due process.

The United Nations and international human rights groups, as well as more than a hundred Nobel Prize winners, have condemned the Islamic Republic government's treatment of Ahmad Reza Jalali and called for his release.

Iranian media reported the imminent execution of Jalali in the final stage of Nouri's trial.

On Wednesday, May 4, 2022, Iranian state media announced the imminent execution of Ahmad Reza Jalali by the end of this month. The news was released exactly on the day that Hamid Nouri's trial in Sweden ended. It is expected that the outcome of Hamid Nouri's trial will be announced in July of this year.

According to Hadi Ghaemi, "The announcement of the date of Mr. Jalali's execution is clear evidence that he is being used as a tool to release Hamid Nouri or reduce his charges."

Vida Mehrannia, Ahmad Reza Jalali's wife, told the Campaign for Human Rights in Iran: "Ahmad Reza's health has deteriorated over the years in Evin Prison, and he has been seriously ill for the past six years."

According to Ms. Mehrannia, “Ahmadreza has lost 25 kilograms. The possibility of cancer, anemia, gallstone problems, skin disorders, mild leg paralysis, mouth ulcers, and tooth loss are Mr. Jalali’s most important problems, all of which began after his imprisonment and hunger strike.”

Vida Mehrannia said: "I hope the European Union doesn't want to sacrifice my husband."

Hamid Nouri's trial; "This conviction may lead to the trial of more officials from the Islamic Republic's government" 

The trial of Hamid Nouri, who was arrested in Sweden in 2019, began in August 2021.

According to the indictment filed by the Swedish Public Prosecutor, Hamid Nouri is accused of the "intentional murder" of a large number of prisoners who supported left-wing political groups and were considered apostates by government officials, and is also accused of "war crimes."

The historic Hamid Nouri trial, in which dozens of people testified, is the first time that one of the worst crimes of the Islamic Republic of Iran has been fully investigated and its details have been revealed.

The current head of Iran's executive branch, Ebrahim Raisi, is also accused of participating in the mass executions of prisoners in the summer of 2018.

Earlier, Iraj Mosadaghi, one of the main plaintiffs in the court and a writer and researcher, said in an interview with the Campaign for Human Rights in Iran, "We believe that after Nouri's conviction, the prosecution of other people responsible for the 1988 massacre will begin."

It is worth noting that Ahmadreza Jalali is one of at least 15 dual citizens and one foreign national imprisoned in Iran who were arrested in an illegal and non-transparent process and faced severe punishments without a fair trial.

Source: Iran Human Rights Campaign