Geneva, 5 June, 2025.- Iran must release Ahmadreza Djalali, an Iranian born-resident of Sweden, who has been arbitrarily detained since 2016 despite repeated warnings about his deteriorating health, UN experts said today.
Djalali has been detained in the notorious Evin prison since 2016 and suffered a heart attack last month. His detention continues in violation of international law.
“We have reminded Iran of their obligations to treat Mr. Djalali in line with human rights standards,” the experts said. “The Iranian authorities are ultimately responsible for providing humane conditions of detention and healthcare of the same standard as those available to Iranians in the community. Regrettably Iran has not heeded prior interventions.”
“The multitude of interventions have not changed Mr. Djalali’s health situation, which has further deteriorated and resulted in a heart attack in May. Without immediate access to adequate medical care, we fear that his health may already have been irreparably damaged and is now life-threatening,” they added.
Djalali is a medical doctor, lecturer, and researcher who was arrested in April 2016 while visiting Iran to attend academic workshops on disaster medicine. He was charged with espionage, convicted and sentenced to death. The sentence was based on a confession that was reportedly extracted under torture and following a trial that allegedly failed to meet international standards. His detention was previously determined to be arbitrary.
The experts pointed to a well-documented pattern of unlawful and arbitrary detentions in Iran of dual and foreign nationals or residents, and their use as bargaining tools to put pressure on foreign Governments and in prisoner exchanges which may affect Djalali.
“These allegations must be thoroughly investigated. Under international law, it is unlawful for a State to arbitrarily arrest, detain or sentence an individual, or to use their conditions of detention for the purpose of leveraging another entity.”
“We are also especially concerned that the death penalty may be imposed should our calls continue to go unheeded. We are pleading with the Iranian authorities to review the case and change course,” they said.
The experts have written to the Government of the Islamic Republic of Iran and the Government of Sweden. Iran has indicated that it disputes the information contained herein. The experts will continue to follow the case closely.