Education International has again expressed its deepest concerns about the death sentence against Dr. Ahmadreza Djalali, an Iranian-Swedish medical doctor, lecturer and researcher in emergency medicine. According to Amnesty International, he has been transferred to solitary confinement in Evin prison and told by the authorities that his execution is imminent.
Dr. Djalali was arrested on 25 April 2016 without a warrant by agents of the Ministry of Intelligence and subjected to torture to make him "confess" to being a spy. He has been convicted on bogus charges of “spreading corruption on earth” and sentenced to death following an unfair trial before Branch 15 of the Revolutionary Court in Tehran, where his most basic rights to defence were simply ignored.
Dr. Djalali has been detained in the Evin prison since his arrest. While his health is severely deteriorating due to his detention conditions, he is almost systematically denied access to adequate health care. For Education International, this treatment violates the absolute prohibition of cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment under international law.
Education International and the global community of educators demanded Ayatollah Sayed Ali Khamenei’s immediate intervention in favour of Dr. Ahmadreza Djalali and urged the Iranian authorities to:
- annul the death sentence on Dr. Ahmadreza Djalali and release him immediately and unconditionally;
- ensure he has access to a qualified health professional who can provide the health care he needs;
- ensure that he has regular access to a lawyer of his choice and to his family, including facilities to communicate with those living abroad;
- ensure that an independent and effective investigation is carried out into his allegations of torture and the “confessions” obtained under duress.
Meanwhile, Education International will continue to monitor closely the human and trade union rights situation of teachers and academics in Iran.
You can read Amnesty International’s article on Dr. Djalali here.