Iran Should Immediately Halt Execution Of Swedish-Iranian Academic - UN Rights Experts

UN Special Rapporteurs from the Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR) on Wednesday issued a statement calling on Iran to immediately halt the execution of Iranian-Swedish medical doctor and academic Ahmadreza Djalali

UNITED NATIONS (UrduPoint News / Sputnik - 25th November, 2020) UN Special Rapporteurs from the Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR) on Wednesday issued a statement calling on Iran to immediately halt the execution of Iranian-Swedish medical doctor and academic Ahmadreza Djalali.

"We are horrified by the reports that Mr. Djalali is soon to be executed by the Islamic Republic of Iran," the statement said. "We urge the Iranian authorities to take immediate action to reverse this decision before it is too late."

Djalali's execution is believed to be imminent considering that on Tuesday he telephoned his wife for what he said would be the last farewell and earlier his lawyer saw the order to implement the death penalty, the statement said.

The Iranian authorities have so far made no effort to inform his family or the lawyer about the execution order, the statement said.

In October 2017, Djalali was sentenced to death on suspicion of spying, despite evidence that his conviction was based on forced confession obtained under torture and after an unfair trial, the statement said.

The UN Working Group on Arbitrary Detention also found in a 2017 opinion that Djalali's detention was arbitrary and called for his release, the statement noted.

The OHCHR said that Djalali had been repeatedly denied medical treatment during his detention, despite the strong likelihood that he has leukaemia, the statement said.

"The decision of the Iranian Government and judiciary to execute Mr. Djalali is completely reprehensible. On several counts, this would be a clear and serious violation of Iran's obligations under international human rights law, especially the right to life," the statement added.