Request for immediate action to release Dr. Ahmadreza Jalali
To: Honorable Speaker of the Riksdag, Andreas Norlén
CC: Members of the Foreign Relations Commission
Honorable Ministry for Foreign Affairs Ms. Maria Malmer Stenergard
Date: March 19, 2025
Subject: Request for immediate action to release Dr. Ahmadreza Jalali
We, the Union for Secular Republic and Human rights in Iran, call on the Swedish government and parliament to take urgent action for the immediate and unconditional release of Dr. Ahmadreza Jalali, an Iranian-Swedish citizen who has been unjustly sentenced to death in Iran.
Dr. Ahmadreza Jalali, a dual Swedish-Iranian researcher and crisis management researcher at the Karolinska Institute, traveled to Iran in April 2016 to attend a scientific conference and was arrested there in April.
He was sentenced to death in an unfair and arbitrary trial in 2017 for collaborating with Israel, despite no credible evidence being presented against him.
His physical and mental condition has become critical due to numerous hunger strikes in recent years, and he is at risk of being executed at any moment.
In 2024, under Foreign Minister Tobias Billström, the Swedish government arranged a prisoner exchange with Iran. Sweden released Hamid Nouri, an Iranian citizen who had been sentenced to life imprisonment following a fair trial conducted in accordance with human rights standards. In return, Iran released Johan Flodros and an Iranian citizen who had been residing in Sweden.
Despite numerous appeals from scientific authorities, political and social figures, and human rights organizations, Dr. Jalali was not included in this exchange. These groups had repeatedly urged Sweden to secure Dr. Jalali's release from Iranian prison and facilitate his return to his family and workplace in Sweden.
We expect the Swedish Parliament and Government to:
- Make this case an immediate diplomatic priority and use all possible means to release Dr. Ahmad Reza Jalali.
- Increase political and legal pressure on Iran to prevent the execution of Dr. Jalali.
- Take action for his release through international forums, such as the European Union and the United Nations.
We expect the Swedish Parliament to urgently address this issue and oblige the government to take effective measures. Any delay in this regard may cost Dr. Jalali his life.
Respectfully
International Committee of
Union for Secular Republic and Human rights in Iran
