Head of judiciary, Gholamhossein Mohseni Ejei
c/o Embassy of Iran to the European Union, Avenue Franklin Roosevelt No. 15, 1050 Bruxelles, Belgium

Dear Mr Gholamhossein Mohseni Ejei,

Swedish-Iranian academic Ahmadreza Djalali, arbitrarily detained in Tehran’s Evin prison, is at grave risk of execution. He has heart arrhythmia, anaemia and high blood pressure, for which he has been denied timely and adequate access to health care. His health deteriorated further following his hunger strike from 26 June to 4 July 2024, which, according to his wife Vida Mehrannia, he underwent in protest at his arbitrary detention and at being “left behind” following a prisoner exchange deal between Iran and Sweden on 15
June. She expressed her fear about his fate following the swap, which resulted in the release of former Iranian official Hamid Nouri, sentenced to life imprisonment by a Swedish court in relation to his role in the 1988 prison massacres in Iran, in exchange for two Swedish nationals.

Ahmadreza Djalali was arrested in Tehran in April 2016 and sentenced to death for “corruption on earth” (efsad-e fel-arz) in October 2017 after a grossly unfair trial before a Revolutionary Court which relied primarily on “confessions” that Ahmadreza Djalali said were obtained under torture and other ill-treatment while he was held in prolonged solitary confinement and denied access to a lawyer. Amnesty International has repeatedly held that “corruption on earth” fails to meet requirements for clarity and precision needed in criminal law.

On 9 December 2018, his lawyers learned that the Supreme Court had upheld his death sentence without granting them the opportunity to file defence submissions. Since late December 2018, Ahmadreza Djalali’s forced “confessions” have repeatedly aired on state TV. In May 2022, Ahmadreza Djalali’s lawyers filed a request for judicial review to the Supreme Court and, separately, an appeal to the head of judiciary under Article 477 the Code of Criminal Procedure to order a review of the case; no responses have been received over two years later. Ahmadreza Djalali’s detention is rendered arbitrary due to the gravity of the violations of his fair trial rights, including to the presumption of innocence; to not self incriminate; to a trial before an independent, competent and impartial tribunal without undue delay; to access a lawyer from the time of arrest; to an adequate defence; to be protected from torture and other ill-treatment and to meaningfully challenge the legality of his detention.

I ask you to immediately stop any plans to execute Ahmadreza Djalali, quash his conviction and death sentence and immediately release him as his detention is rendered arbitrary due to the severe non observance of his fair trial rights. Pending his release, Ahmadreza Djalali must be provided with adequate medical care and protected from further torture and other ill-treatment. Prompt, independent, effective and impartial investigations into those suspected of ordering, committing, aiding or abetting unlawful acts against him must be conducted and those suspected of such offences brought to justice in fair trials. I also call on you to establish an official moratorium on executions with a view to abolishing the death penalty.

Yours sincerely,