Members of the Parliamentary Assembly ask Iran not to carry out the death penalty of Ahmadreza Djalali

Written declaration No. 714 | Doc. 15190 | 04 December 2020

Signatories:

Ms Darya SAFAI, Belgium, NR ; Ms Petra BAYR, Austria, SOC ; Mr Fourat BEN CHIKHA, Belgium, SOC ; Ms Karin BROUWERS, Belgium, EPP/CD ; Ms Laura CASTEL, Spain, NR ; Mr Jeremy CORBYN, United Kingdom, SOC ; Ms Yolaine de COURSON, France, ALDE ; Ms Andrea EDER-GITSCHTHALER, Austria, EPP/CD ; Mr Constantinos EFSTATHIOU, Cyprus, SOC ; Mr Sokratis FAMELLOS, Greece, UEL ; Mr Bernard FOURNIER, France, EPP/CD ; Mr Frank HEINRICH, Germany, EPP/CD ; Mr Andrej HUNKO, Germany, UEL ; Mr Momodou Malcolm JALLOW, Sweden, UEL ; Mr Tiny KOX, Netherlands, UEL ; Ms Stephanie KRISPER, Austria, ALDE ; Mr Christophe LACROIX, Belgium, SOC ; Ms Carmen LEYTE, Spain, EPP/CD ; Mr Reinhold LOPATKA, Austria, EPP/CD ; Ms María Valentina MARTÍNEZ FERRO, Spain, EPP/CD ; Mr Oleksandr MEREZHKO, Ukraine, SOC ; Mr Marco NICOLINI, San Marino, UEL ; Ms Barbara NOWACKA, Poland, NR ; Mr Hişyar ÖZSOY, Turkey, UEL ; Mr Frédéric REISS, France, EPP/CD ; Ms Maria RIZZOTTI, Italy, EPP/CD ; Mr Stefan SCHENNACH, Austria, SOC ; Mr Krzysztof ŚMISZEK, Poland, SOC ; Ms Tadeja ŠUŠTAR, Slovenia, EPP/CD ; Mr Nicos TORNARITIS, Cyprus, EPP/CD ; Ms Laurence TRASTOUR-ISNART, France, EPP/CD ; Ms Kristien Van VAERENBERGH, Belgium, NR

This written declaration commits only those who have signed it.

We, the undersigned, declare the following:

Ahmadreza Djalali, Iranian-Swedish scientist and visiting professor at the Belgian Vrije Universiteit Brussel (VUB), was sentenced to death in Iran in 2016 for espionage.

Ahmadreza Djalali has always maintained his innocence. All the international efforts for his release, including a United Nations declaration, were so far to no avail.

A few days ago we learned that Ahmadreza Djalali has been placed in solitary confinement in Karaj and risks being executed. Solitary confinement in a prison in the city of Karaj is often considered as the final step before a prisoner’s execution.

The Swedish Minister of Foreign Affairs, Ann Linde, appealed for the cancellation of the execution of the Iranian-Swedish scientist. The Belgian Minister of Foreign Affairs, Sophie Wilmès, fully supports this humanitarian appeal from Sweden.

We are seriously concerned about Iran’s intention to carry out the death penalty of Ahmadreza Djalali, and reiterate our opposition to the death penalty at all times and in all circumstances.