Wife of Ahmad Reza Jalali, a dual-national doctor imprisoned in Iran: I have no more hope
Following the publication of news about the imminent execution of Ahmad Reza Jalali, an Iranian-Swedish physician imprisoned in Iran, Mr. Jalali's wife expressed concern in an interview with Voice of America that her husband's life was in danger.
Vida Mehrannia, the wife of Ahmad Reza Jalali, told VOA that the situation of the imprisoned physician and researcher in Iran is dangerous, adding: "The Supreme Court has issued the death sentence, and we do not know on what basis or basis this sentence was issued. But right now I feel that Ahmad Reza's life is in danger."
Ms. Mehrannia told VOA that in their last call, Mr. Jalali informed her that on Tuesday, December 25, after being transferred to the Revolutionary Prosecutor's Office, he was informed that he was to be transferred to Ward 209 of Evin Prison and that in the coming days he would be taken to Rajai Shahr Prison in Karaj to serve his sentence.
The wife of this imprisoned physician and researcher in Iran says that after hearing the news of her client's transfer to Ward 209 of Evin Prison, Mr. Jalali's lawyer, Haleh Moussavian, went to the Revolutionary Prosecutor's Office and found out that the death sentence had been confirmed; a death sentence for which, according to Vida Mehrannia, the request for a retrial has remained unanswered after a year, that is, since 2019.
Ahmad Reza Jalali's wife told VOA that Mr. Jalali was told: "The Swedish government and the European governments have not followed up on your case. We had given enough time for the governments to solve your problem; but your problem has not been solved yet." Ms. Mehrannia also responded to these statements, saying: "We do not know exactly what the Iranian authorities meant and what their goal is. Unfortunately, Ahmad Reza has become a victim of Iran-Europe relations."
Referring to the Swedish Foreign Minister's call with her Iranian counterpart yesterday and calling for Mr. Jalali's death sentence to be overturned, Vida Mehrannia told VOA: "Iranian authorities either want an exchange to take place or this issue to be resolved through diplomatic relations. The prisoner exchange is one of the things that Iran has done with the United States in the last few years, and they may want to do this in Europe as well. I hope that European authorities will save Ahmad Reza's life in any way possible, whether through a prisoner exchange or something else."
Meanwhile, 149 Nobel laureates from around the world signed a letter to Ayatollah Khamenei, the Supreme Leader of the Islamic Republic, on Tuesday, December 25, calling on him to release Ahmad Reza Jalali so that he can return to his home and life. It is worth noting that this is not the first time that Nobel laureates have sent a letter to the Supreme Leader of the Islamic Republic, asking for his intervention in Mr. Jalali’s case and the release of the imprisoned doctor.
Ms. Mehrannia told VOA: “I have no hope anymore and I don’t know what will happen. … Ahmad Reza was known as a model researcher in Iran for several years, and it is not right for Iranian authorities to sacrifice Ahmad Reza for any reason. There is no justifiable reason against Ahmad Reza, and we call on the Islamic Republic to overturn Ahmad Reza’s sentence and release him.”
Ahmadreza Jalali was arrested in 2016 while visiting his family in Sweden. He was later sentenced to death by the Iranian Revolutionary Court on charges of passing classified information to Mossad at the height of Iran’s nuclear program. The Supreme Court rejected his appeal for a review of the sentence in less than an hour.
Previously, the wife of the imprisoned doctor, who was unaware of the status of Ahmad Reza Jalali's case, told Voice of America that the vast majority of judicial authorities and even security authorities are completely certain of his innocence and that the death sentence was wrong, but no one is willing to announce this mistake and make amends for the injustice.
The Iranian regime has intensified its detention of foreign nationals and dual citizens in recent years. The U.S. State Department has repeatedly condemned the Islamic Republic’s arbitrary and unjustified detention of U.S. and foreign citizens, including dual Iranian nationals, by the regime and called for their immediate and unconditional release.
