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Ahmadreza Djalali hit by a heart attack in the Iranian prison of Tehran

Ahmadreza Djalali hit by a heart attack in the Iranian prison of Tehran

Ahmadreza Djalali Suffers Coronary heart Assault in Tehran’s Evin Jail, Well being Disaster Escalates

Tehran, Iran – Might 9, 2025

Dr. Ahmadreza Djalali, an Iranian-Swedish educational and catastrophe medication skilled imprisoned in Tehran’s infamous Evin Jail since April 2016, suffered a coronary heart assault on the night of Might 8, 2025, in accordance with a number of sources. The 53-year-old, who faces a dying sentence on disputed espionage fees, was transferred to the jail’s hospital wing however reportedly denied entry to a heart specialist till Sunday, Might 11. This incident marks a important escalation in considerations over Djalali’s deteriorating well being, exacerbated by 9 years of torture, solitary confinement, and medical neglect.

Particulars of the Coronary heart Assault

Posts on X from @HostageAid, @Belga_English, and @Amandalavan1 reported that Djalali skilled the center assault on Might 8, 2025, and was moved to Evin’s medical facility. @Free_Djalali, quoting a supply, acknowledged that jail authorities knowledgeable Djalali he wouldn’t see a heart specialist till Sunday, regardless of his important situation. This delay aligns with longstanding allegations of deliberate medical neglect, with Djalali beforehand recognized with coronary heart arrhythmia, anemia, and hypertension, for which he has been denied satisfactory care. His spouse, Vida Mehrannia, and advocacy teams like Amnesty Worldwide have warned that his well being is at a “breaking level,” a priority echoed in an April 2025 audio message the place Djalali described coronary heart operate failure amongst different illnesses.

Background of Djalali’s Imprisonment

Djalali, a revered scholar who taught at Karolinska Institutet in Sweden, Università del Piemonte Orientale in Italy, and Vrije Universiteit Brussel, was arrested on April 24, 2016, throughout an instructional go to to Tehran, invited by Tehran College. Accused of “corruption on earth” for allegedly spying for Israel, he was sentenced to dying in October 2017 after a grossly unfair trial reliant on coerced confessions extracted underneath torture, together with threats towards his household. The UN Working Group on Arbitrary Detention in 2017 deemed his detention arbitrary, calling for his quick launch, a requirement echoed by 153 Nobel Laureates, the European Parliament, and human rights organizations.

Iranian authorities have repeatedly used Djalali as a bargaining chip, linking his destiny to prisoner swaps, notably with Hamid Nouri, a former Iranian official convicted in Sweden for 1988 jail massacres. A June 2024 swap releasing EU diplomat Johan Floderus and Swede Saeed Azizi excluded Djalali, prompting him to undertake a starvation strike from June 26 to July 4, 2024, in protest.

Well being Deterioration and Torture

Djalali’s well being has quickly declined resulting from inhumane jail situations. He has endured extended solitary confinement, psychological torture, and mock execution threats, with the newest in December 2023. His April 2025 message to VRT Information detailed extreme weight reduction, gastritis, intestinal problems, and coronary heart points, stating, “I’m actually at my breaking level.” The guts assault follows years of denied medical care, with authorities reportedly conditioning hospital transfers on compelled confessions. Siamak Namazi, a former cellmate launched in 2023, described Djalali’s “insufferable” psychological pressure, emphasizing the cruelty of his ongoing ordeal.

Worldwide Response and Requires Motion

The guts assault has galvanized renewed requires Djalali’s launch:

  • Amnesty Worldwide condemned Iran’s “merciless toying” with Djalali’s life, urging his quick launch and an finish to execution plans. A commemoration occasion organized by Amnesty in Brussels on Might 9, 2025, attended by Vida Mehrannia, highlighted the urgency of his case.
  • Students at Threat (SAR) and universities like Vrije Universiteit Brussel reiterated calls for for Sweden and the EU to intervene, with SAR’s February 2025 letter to Swedish authorities stressing Djalali’s “torturous” situations.
  • X Sentiment: Posts from @VMehrannia and @ManeliMirkhan labeled Djalali’s detention a “crime towards humanity,” urging Swedish International Minister Maria Malmer Stenergard (@MariaStenergard) and Prime Minister Ulf Kristersson (@SwedishPM) to behave.

Djalali himself has criticized Sweden and Belgium for inaction, stating in his April message that their failure to safe his launch makes them “partly accountable” for his potential dying.

Iran’s Broader Context

Djalali’s case is a part of Iran’s sample of detaining twin nationals as political leverage, with Evin Jail holding others like French-Iranian Fariba Adelkhah. A 2022 hearth and unrest at Evin underscored its brutal situations, with hacked footage revealing overcrowding and abuse. Iran’s execution spree, with no less than 115 executions in November 2023 alone, heightens fears that Djalali’s dying sentence may very well be carried out, both immediately or by means of medical neglect.

Outlook

Djalali’s coronary heart assault underscores the dire urgency of his state of affairs. With out quick medical intervention and worldwide stress, his household and advocates concern he could die in jail, whether or not by execution or well being collapse. The Swedish authorities, EU, and international educational group face mounting stress to barter his launch, doubtlessly by means of diplomatic channels or sanctions, earlier than it’s too late. Vida Mehrannia, talking to VRT, expressed desperation, dreading a name confirming his execution.

For updates, go to Amnesty International or Scholars at Risk. To assist advocacy, contact @AmnestyIran or @Free_Djalali on X.