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Press Release on the Conviction of Professor Ahmadreza

Press Release on the Conviction of Professor Ahmadreza

Press Release on the Conviction of Professor Ahmadreza

/ POLITIQUE / Wednesday, 18 May 2022 18:52

source photo: SR

 By Gloriose Ntirenganya

It will soon be six years since Pr Ahmadreza Djalali was accused of spying and imprisoned by the Iranian authorities. His execution is scheduled for 21 May at the latest, according to the Iranian news agency ISNA, despite the many steps already taken by the Belgian government with the Iranian authorities. Even if the information has not yet been confirmed or denied by the Iranian authorities, everything leads us to believe that the revelations made by ISNA are not to be taken lightly when we know that Iran is one of the countries in the world that has executed the most prisoners over the last two decades. This revelation is also perceived as a sword of Damocles by the Belgian and Swedish authorities as well as Amnesty International, a fervent defender of human rights. It is for this reason that the Belgian Prime Minister, Alexander De Croo, in his address to the House of Representatives on Thursday 12 May, hinted that he had requested a meeting with the Iranian President, Ebrahim Raissie, to discuss the case of Ahmadreza Djalali who has been languishing in Iranian jails since 2016.

 

With these revelations by the ISNA news agency, Amnesty International did not beat about the bush to express its indignation at the outcome of the trial, which it described as “unfair and tainted by torture”. In addition to Amnesty International, the whole world condemned the death penalty against the professor.

 

One might wonder whether De Croo's ‘extended hand’ will be accepted. If one goes by ISNA’s statements, one can easily guess that Tehran is determined to execute the Iranian-Swedish professor, despite the many denunciations and condemnations of the attitude of the Iranian judicial authorities.

 

Amnesty International calls on Belgium and Sweden to put pressure on the Iranian authorities to release Professor Ahmadreza Djalali.

 

For the time being, all eyes are on the Iranian leadership in the hope that they will reconsider their decision regarding the sentence. Despite the significant progress made towards the abolition of the death penalty, this conviction proves that there is still a long way to go to ensure the right to life.

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