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Preventing the imminent execution of Ahmadreza Djalali

Preventing the imminent execution of Ahmadreza Djalali

LUH supports campaign of human rights organisations and scientific institutions

With great concern, people around the world follow the case of the Swedish-Iranian physician Dr. Ahmadreza Djalali, who is currently imprisoned in Iran. The organisations Amnesty International and Scholars at Risk (SAR) fear that his execution may be imminent. Leibniz University Hannover (LUH) supports a social media campaign of the Scholars at Risk Network demanding the release of the researcher, which covers multiple channels including Twitter: https://twitter.com/HRK_aktuell/status/1331279833628815363

In a statement issued on 26 November and following multiple pleas, the German Rectors'' Conference demanded the immediate release of the Swedish-Iranian researcher. In spring, Prof. Dr. Peter-André Alt (President of the German Rectors'' Conference) stood up for Dr. Ahmadreza Djalali, who has been imprisoned for several years, and demanded his release from Evin Prison. The researcher has been detained since April 2016 and was sentenced to death for "corruption on earth" based on allegations that he had provided intelligence to Israeli authorities. The Supreme Court of Iran has denied permission to appeal against the sentence. Prior to his imprisonment, the physician taught at universities in Sweden, Italy and Belgium.

Professor Alt intends to address another open letter to the state government of Iran. In May, the Vice President for International Affairs at LUH, Prof. Dr. Christina von Haaren, sent an open letter to Ayatollah Ali Khamenei.

The death sentence as well as the relentless cruelty towards Dr. Djalali flagrantly violate human rights standards and academic freedom. The international scientific community can no longer tolerate the actions of the Iranian government. His declining state of health, in particular symptoms suggesting that he may be suffering from leukaemia, call for his immediate release from prison.

This year, Iran has released many prisoners detained in the country in order to stem the spread of the coronavirus. Dr. Djalali did not benefit from this measure and is still detained in Evin prison.

Further information can be found at https://www.scholarsatrisk.org/2020/11/iran-halt-execution-and-release-disaster-medicine-scholar-ahmadreza-djalali/.