Noted academic in the field of disaster preparedness, Ahmadreza Djalali was arrested by the Revolutionary Guard on a visit to Iran in 2016, charged with “corruption on earth”, and sentenced to death without proper legal procedures. His execution has been announced and postponed several times. CCS urges European leaders to negotiate with Iran for his release.
April 24, 2023
Roberta Metsola
President of the European Parliament
Rue Wiertz 60
1047 Bruxelles, Brussels, Belgium
Pasteur Street, Pasteur Square
Tehran, Islamic Republic of Iran
Phone: +32-22845686
Fax:+32-22849686
Email: oberta.metsola@europarl.europa.eu
Dear President Metsola:
The Committee of Concerned Scientists is an independent organization of scientists, physicians, engineers, and scholars devoted to the protection and advancement of human rights and scientific freedom for colleagues all over the world.
We are writing in regard to medical doctor Ahmadreza Djalali, MD, PhD, who is a world-renowned expert on disaster medicine and a dual citizen of Sweden and Iran. Dr. Djalali directed several projects on the response of the European health system to terrorist attacks before he was detained on a visit to Iran in 2016. It is believed that his refusal to provide Iranian security agents with information on critical European infrastructure has led to his arrest followed by the death sentence.
Dr. Djalali has been on death row since October 2017. He is in very poor health. His execution has been announced and delayed numerous times, leading to constant anguish for him, his family, his friends, and human rights organizations throughout the world.
Dr. Djalali is a citizen of the European Union who contributed a great deal to European security. We urge the European Parliament and all its member states, particularly Sweden and Belgium, to do everything in their power, including prisoner swaps, to achieve his release and return to Sweden. We at the Committee of Concerned Scientists firmly believe that saving Dr. Djalali’s life must supersede all other considerations.
Thank you for your attention to this serious matter. We will be closely following developments in this case.
Sincerely,
Joel L. Lebowitz, Paul H. Plotz, Walter Reich, Eugene M. Chudnovsky, Alexander Greer
Co-Chairs, Committee of Concerned Scientists
Cc:
Tobias Billström
Minister for Foreign Affairs of Sweden
Herkulesgatan 17
SE 103 33 Stockholm
Kingdom of Sweden
Phone: +46 8 405 10 00
Email: ud.registrator@gov.se
Hadja Lahbib
Minister of Foreign Affairs, European Affairs and Foreign Trade and the Federal Cultural Institutions
Egmont I
Rue des Petits Carmes 15
1000 Brüssel
Kingdom of Belgium
Phone: +32(0)2 501 85 91
Email: hadja.lahbib@diplobel.fed.be
Antony J. Blinken
Secretary of State
U.S. Department of State
2201 C Street, NW
Washington, DC 20520 USA
Phone: (202) 647-4000
Twitter: @ABlinken