Iranian-Swedish Dual National Ahmad Reza Jalali Facing Execution

Ahmad Reza Jalali, currently held in Evin Prison, is confronting the threat of execution.

Arrested by security forces in May 2016, he was subsequently sentenced to death on charges of “spying.” The Supreme Court affirmed the verdict in the following year, and last year, the then-judiciary’s spokesperson, Zabihollah Khodaian, announced the finalization of this sentence.

While addressing the potential prison swap between Jalali and Hamid Nouri during a press conference, Khodaian asserted that “these two issues are not related, and there is no ongoing discussion about such a swap.” However, Amnesty International stated in a release that Iran’s authorities are using the threat of Jalali’s execution as leverage for the proposed prison swap.

Professor Jalali, invited to Iran by the University of Tehran in May 2016, was arrested on charges of “enmity against God (Moharebeh) through espionage for Israel.” Moharebeh, interpreted as “waging war against God,” is a component of Sharia Law typically applied to those suspected of involvement in acts against the state. The Tehran Prosecutor accused him of “transferring information about confidential projects in research, military, defense, and nuclear fields in exchange for citizenship for him and his family from Sweden.”

HRA Highlights Sixty-Nine Dual and Foreign Nationals Detained by Iran From 2003 to Present 

HRANA – HRA has compiled a list of sixty-nine dual and foreign nationals detained by Iran since 2003. The list illustrates a deeply flawed judiciary plagued with the ongoing use of arbitrary detention fueled by an extraordinary lack of due process. It is noteworthy that in recent years a number of these arrests have been made by Iran’s Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC). It is overwhelmingly clear that Iran continues to use dual and foreign nationals as political bargaining chips, often charging individuals in connection with espionage and citing national security concerns—with an alarming lack of evidence. HRA has documented extensive evidence of unfair trials, often conducted in a language the accused does not understand, with the denial of legal counsel, disproportionate sentencing, prolonged solitary confinement, and interrogations marred with torture leading to forced and sometimes televised confessions. The list goes on. The UN Working Group on Arbitrary Detention has commented on Iran’s trend of detaining dual nationals confirming that a number of those detained were targeted based on their “nationality or social origin”. 

The detention of dual and foreign nationals is seemingly targeted and systematic and it must be widely condemned. Iran cannot be allowed to use human beings as players in its political chessboard. Despite the foreign ministries’ November 2021 guarantee vowing the safety of dual nationals traveling to Iran, the continued practice and failure to release those currently detained sends a starkly opposite message to Iranians that enjoy dual nationality. A message that it is not safe to return to Iran without a well-founded fear of detention. There is no secret that Iran views dual nationals in this way. The case of Nazanin Zarcari Radcliffe is an unfortunate example of just how serious Iran takes the game. They view Nazanin as ransom for a four-hundred million pound debt owed by the United Kingdom daring back to a 1979 arms deal. It has become clear that Nazanin’s freedom hinges on the payment of said funds. She is not alone. There must be sustained international pressure to release Nazanin and all dual and foreign nationals currently detained by Iran. It’s a dangerous game when politics become more important than the very lives politicians were elected to serve. 

In a letter written from prison, currently detained dual national, Siamak Namazi said Iran’s continued use of hostage diplomacy was like “sprinkl[ing] salt on the wound of distrust.” This is surely a shared sentiment in numerous diplomatic circles attempting to tackle the issue.  

The following list documents sixty-nine dual and foreign nationals detained by Iran from 2003 to the present day. A number of those detained were released prior to the completion of their sentence–illustrating the arbitrariness of the practice. Some were never fortunate enough to return home and ultimately faced execution at the hands of their abductors. While several have been released a number still await a strategic move on the chessboard that has, unfortunately, become their reality. American, British, and Canadian citizens account for the highest number of detentions among dual nationals–the highest number of detentions occurring in 2016. It is worth noting that the actual number of detentions may be higher than reported. Dual national detentions significantly outnumber that of foreign nationals reaffirming the widespread distrust in Iran’s commitment to the safety of dual nationals wishing to “return home”.

(*) denotes the individual remains imprisoned in Iran or otherwise has been denied the ability to return home.

1. Zahra “Ziba” Kazemi-Ahmadabadi

Date of Arrest: June 24, 2003
Date of Release: Killed by Iranian officials following her arrest
Nationality: Iranian-Canadian
Charges: Photographing restricted areas
Conviction: N/A

 


2. Stephane Lherbier

Date of Arrest: November 6, 2005
Date of Release: January 2007
Nationality: French
Charges: Unknown
Conviction:Unknown

 


3. Donald Klein

Date of Arrest:  November 6, 2005
Date of Release: January, 2007
Nationality: German
Charges: Unknown
Conviction: Unknown

 


4. Robert Alan Levinson

Date of Arrest: March 2007
Date of Release: Disappeared on March 9, 2007 on Kish Island, Iran
Nationality: American
Charges: Unknown
Conviction: Unknown

 


5. Haleh Esfandiari

Date of Arrest: May 8, 2007
Date of Release: August 21, 2007
Nationality: Iranian-American
Charges:  Acting against national security and acting to overthrow the regime
Conviction: Unknown

 


6. Hamid Ghasemi Shal

Date of Arrest: 2008
Date of Release: October 2013
Nationality: Iranian-Canadian
Charges: Espionage. In retrial, the charge was changed to assembly and collusion against national security
Conviction: Initially sentenced to death. Later, the verdict was reduced to 5 years imprisonment


7. Saeed Malekpour

Date of Arrest: October 2008
Date of Release: Released from prison before the end of his sentence
Nationality: Iranian-Resident of Canada
Charges: Cybercrime (Pornography)
Conviction: Life imprisonment

 


8. Hossein Derakhshan

Date of Arrest: November 1, 2008
Date of Release: November 19, 2015
Nationality: Iranian-Canadian
Charges: Collaboration with hostile countries, propaganda against the regime, advocating for anti-regime groups, blasphemy, setting up and directing websites with obscene content.
Conviction: 19 years and 6 months imprisonment, five year prohibition from membership and activity on social media


9. Roxana Saberi

Date of Arrest: January 31, 2009
Date of Release: May 11, 2009
Nationality: American
Charges: Espionage and gathering confidential and classified documents
Conviction: 2 years suspended imprisonment

 


10. Maziar Bahari

Date of Arrest: June 1, 2009
Date of Release:
October 13, 2009 
Nationality: 
Iranian-Canadian
Charges:
Assembly and collusion to act against national security, gathering and holding confidential and classified documents, propaganda against the regime, offensive statements against the Supreme Leader of Iran and the President, disturbing public order
Conviction:
13 years and six month imprisonment and 74 lashes


* 11. Fariba Adelkhah

Date of arrest: June 6, 2009
Date of release: Unknown
Citizenship: Iranian-French
Charges: Propaganda against the regime and collusion against national security
Sentence: 6 years and 6 months imprisonment

 


12. Clotilde Reiss

Date of Arrest: July 1, 2009
Date of Release: August 2009
Nationality: French
Charges: Espionage
Conviction: 5 years imprisonment, later changed to a fine when she left Iran on May 16, 2016

 


13. Kian Tajbakhsh

Date of Arrest: July 2009
Date of Release: March 13, 2010
Nationality: Iranian-American
Charges: Unknown
Conviction: 5 years imprisonment

 


14. Sarah Shourd

Date of Arrest: July 30, 2009
Date of Release: September 14, 2010
Nationality: American
Charges: Illegally entering the country and espionage
Conviction: Released on bail. She left Iran after her release.

 


15. Vahik Abramian

Date of Arrest: February 20, 2010
Date of Release: March 2011
Nationality: Iranian-Dutch
Charges: Preaching Christian beliefs
Conviction: One year in prison. He returned to the Netherlands after release.

 


16. Shane Bauer

Date of Arrest: September 14, 2010
Date of Release: December 27, 2011
Nationality: American
Charges: Illegally entering the country and espionage
Conviction: 8 years imprisonment

 


17. Josh Fattal

Date of Arrest: September 14, 2010
Date of Release: December 27, 2011
Nationality: American
Charges: Illegally entering the country and espionage
Conviction: 8 years imprisonment

 


18. Amir Mirza Hekmati

Date of Arrest: December 7, 2011
Date of Release: January 2016
Nationality: Iranian-American
Charges: Espionage
Conviction: Initially sentenced to death, later reduced to 10 years imprisonment. He was released through a prisoner swap with the U.S. Government


19. Masoud Karami

Date of Arrest: February 14, 2012
Date of Release: Unknown
Nationality: Iranian-Norwegian
Charges: Unknown
Conviction: Unknown

 


20. Saeed Abedini

Date of Arrest: September 2012
Date of Release: Mid-January 2016
Nationality: Iranian-American
Charges: Holding underground church services with the purpose of acting against national security
Conviction: 8 years in prison

 


21. Afshin Shafei

Date of Arrest: December 16, 2012
Date of Release: January 2013
Nationality: Iranian-Norwegian
Charges: Unknown
Conviction: Released on bail and left the country

 


22. Roya Saberi Nejad Nikbakht

Date of Arrest: September 28, 2013
Date of Release: Unknown
Nationality: Iranian-British
Charges: Blasphemy and offensive statements against the heads of three branches of government.
Conviction: 4 years imprisonment

 


23-30. Seven Unidentified Slovak Citizens

Date of Arrest: July 2013
Date of Release: September 2013
Nationality: Slovak
Charges: Espionage
Conviction: Unknown

 


31. Jason Rezaian 

Date of Arrest: July 22, 2014
Date of Release:
January 2016
Nationality:
Iranian-American
Charges:
Espionage and acting against national security
Conviction:
Released though a prisoner swap. In return, the U.S. government released three Iranian prisoners.


* 32. Hasan Rastegari Majd

Date of Arrest: October 27, 2014
Date of Release: Imprisoned in Urmia Prison
Nationality: Iranian-Turkish
Charges: In the first case, “propaganda against the regime through collaboration with an anti-regime group”. In the second case, “offensive statements and propaganda against the regime”. In the third case, “causing unrest in prison and clashing with prison guards”.
Conviction: 15 years imprisonment and revocation of Iranian citizenship for his first case. 2 years imprisonment for the second case and one year for the third.


33. Nosratollah (Farzad) Khosravi-Roodsari

Date of Arrest: 2014
Date of Release: January, 2016
Nationality: Iranian- American
Charges: Unknown
Conviction: Released through a prisoner swap with the U.S. Government.

 


34. Mostafa Azizi

Date of Arrest: February 1, 2015
Date of Release: April, 2016
Nationality: Iranian-Resident of Canada
Charges: Assembly and collusion against national security, propaganda against the regime, offensive statements against the Supreme Leader of Iran.
Conviction: 3 years and a fine


35. Nizar Zakka

Date of Arrest: 2015
Date of Release: June 11, 2019
Nationality: Lebanese citizen, US resident
Charges: Espionage and collaboration with hostile countries
Conviction: 10 years imprisonment and a fine of 4.2 million dollars


* 36. Siamak Namazi

Date of arrest: October 2015
Date of release:
N/A
Citizenship:
Iranian-American
Charges:
Collaborating with a hostile government (U.S.A.)
Sentence:
10 years imprisonment

 


37. Matthew Trevithick

Date of Arrest: December 8, 2015
Date of Release:
January 2016
Nationality:
American
Charges:
Espionage
Conviction:
Unknown

 


38. Sanya Bobnevich

Date of Arrest: December 13, 2015
Date of Release: January 2016
Nationality: Croatian-Swedish
Charges: Unknown
Conviction: Released on bail

 


39. Kamran Ghaderi

Date of arrest: December 2015
Date of release: N/A
Citizenship: Iranian-Austrian
Charges: Espionage
Sentence: 10 years imprisonment

 


40. Bagher Namazi

Date of Arrest: March 2016
Date of Release: Spring 2019. Released due to need for medical treatment.
Nationality: Iranian-American
Charges: Collaboration with a hostile country (U.S.A.)
Conviction: 10 years imprisonment

 


* 41. Nazanin Zaghari-Ratcliffe

Date of Arrest: April, 2016
Date of Release: First case, March 2021. Second case, pending removal of travel ban restrictions.
Nationality: Iranian-British
Charges: First case, Collusion against the State. Second case, Propaganda against the regime.
Conviction: First case, 5 years imprisonment. Second case, 1-year imprisonment and 1-year travel ban


42. Ahmadreza Jalali

Date of Arrest: April 2016
Date of Release: N/A
Nationality: Iranian-Swedish
Charges: Espionage
Conviction: Executed

 


43. Homa Hoodfar

Date of Arrest: June 6, 2016
Date of Release: October 2016
Nationality: Iranian-Canadian
Charges: Unknown
Conviction: Unknown

 


44. Reza (Rabin) Shahini 

Date of Arrest: July 15, 2016
Date of Release: April 2017
Nationality: Iranian-American
Charges: Collaboration with Voice of America news channel (VOA) and appearance in their TV programs, propaganda against the regime in favor of anti-regime groups, membership in anti-regime groups such as the proponents of the re-establishing the monarchy in Iran, instigating people to disturb national security and offensive statements against former and current Supreme Leader of Iran.
Conviction: 18 years imprisonment, of which 9 years is enforceable. He was released on bail of 200 million tomans.


45. Afarin Neysari

Date of Arrest: July 20, 2016
Date of Release: Mid-July, 2018
Nationality: Iranian-American
Charges: Espionage
Conviction: 16 years imprisonment. Released on bail of 40 billion tomans

 


46. Karan Vafadari

Date of Arrest: July 20, 2016
Date of Release: Mid-July, 2018
Nationality: Iranian- American
Charges: Espionage
Conviction: 27 years imprisonment. Released on bail of 40 billion tomans

 


47. Xiyue Wang 

Date of Arrest: Summer 2016
Date of Release: November 2019
Nationality: Chinese-American
Charges: Espionage
Conviction: 10 years imprisonment. Released through a prisoner swap with the U.S. government in exchange for an Iranian Prisoner.

 


48. Abdolrasoul Dorri-Esfahani

Date of Arrest: August, 2016
Date of Release: Unknown
Nationality: Iranian-Canadian
Charges: Espionage and collaboration with the British Intelligence Service
Conviction: 5 years imprisonment

 


49. Anoosheh Ashoori

Date of Arrest: 2017
Date of Release: N/A
Nationality: Iranian-British
Charges: Spying for Israel and acquisition of illegitimate property
Conviction: 12 years imprisonment and fine of 33 thousand euros

 


* 50. Morad Tahbaz

Date of Arrest: January 24, 2018
Date of Release: Jailed in Evin Prison
Nationality: Iranian-American
Charges: Espionage
Conviction: 10 years imprisonment

 


51. Kavous Seyed-Emami

Date of Arrest: January 2018
Date of Release: Died in prison
Nationality: Iranian-Canadian
Charges: Espionage
Conviction: Unknown

 


52. Aras Amiri

Date of Arrest: March 2018
Date of Release: July 2021
Nationality: Iranian-British
Charges: Espionage
Conviction: 10 years imprisonment

 


53. Bahareh Amidi (Wife of Emad Sharghi)

Date of Arrest: April 4, 2018
Date of Release: 2018 (likely shortly after arrest)
Nationality: Iranian-American
Charges: Unknown
Conviction: Unknown

 


54. Abbas Edalat

Date of Arrest: April 15, 2018
Date of Release: January, 2019
Nationality: Iranian-British
Charges: Unknown
Conviction: Unknown

 


55. Michael White

Date of Arrest: July 1, 2018
Date of Release: June 4, 2020
Nationality: American
Charges: Offensive statements against the Supreme Leader of Iran and doxing.
Conviction: 10 years imprisonment

 


56. Kylie Moore Gilbert

Date of Arrest: Fall 2018
Date of Release: November 25, 2020
Nationality: Australian-British
Charges: Acting against national security
Conviction: 10 years imprisonment

 


57. Nelly Erin-Cambervelle

Date of Arrest: October 21, 2018
Date of Release:
February 24, 2019
Nationality:
French
Charges:
Allegedly signing an illegal mining contract
Conviction:
Unknown

 

 


58. Meimanat Hosseini-Chavoshi

Date of Arrest: November, 2018
Date of Release:
January, 2019
Nationality:
Iranian-Australian
Charges:
Collaboration with foreign countries, assembly and collusion against national security through conducting research on the decrease in birth rate
Conviction:
5 years imprisonment


59. Kamil Ahmadi

Date of Arrest: August 11, 2019
Date of Release: November 18, 2019
Nationality: Iranian-British
Charges: Acquisition of illegal wealth through collaboration with institutions hostile to the regime.
Conviction: 9 years imprisonment and a fine of 600,000 euros

 


60. Akbar Lakestani

Date of Arrest: September 28, 2019
Date of Release: November 13, 2019
Nationality: Iranian-American
Charges: Propaganda against the regime
Conviction: Released on bail. He left the country after his release.

 


61. Ruhollah Zam

Date of Arrest: October 2019
Date of Release: Executed
Nationality: Iranian-Resident of France
Charges: Spreading corruption on earth, launching and managing the Telegram channel “Amadnews” and “Sedaye Mardom” to disturb national security, spying for Israel and another country in the region, spying for the French intelligence service, collaborating with the U.S. government, assembly and collusion to act against national security, propaganda against the regime, membership in news outlet “Saham News” to with intent to disturb national security, instigating people, gathering classified information, spreading lies, Instigating military forces of the regime to revolt and disobey, blasphemy, and acquisition of illegal properties
Conviction: Death penalty

 


* 62. Yulia Yuzik

Date of Arrest: October 3, 2019
Date of Release:
October 10, 2019
Nationality:
Russian
Charges:
Espionage
Conviction:
Detained for one week. Left Iran immediately following her release.

 


* 63. Benjamin Briere

Date of Arrest: May 2020
Date of Release: N/A
Nationality: French
Charges: Espionage and propaganda against the regime
Conviction: 8 years imprisonment

 


* 64. Reza Eslami

Date of Arrest: May 10, 2020
Date of Release: Imprisoned
Nationality: Iranian-Canadian
Charges: Collaboration with hostile countries (U.S.A.) against the Islamic Republic of Iran through participation in educational courses about the Rule of Law in Czech Republic.
Conviction: 7 years imprisonment, prohibited from teaching and leaving the country.


* 65. Jamshid Sharmahd

Date of Arrest: August 2020
Date of Release: Unknown
Nationality: Iranian-German
Charges: Unknown
Conviction: Unknown

 


* 66. Nahid Taghavi

Date of Arrest: October 16, 2020
Date of Release: N/A
Nationality: Iranian-German
Charges: Participation in forming unlawful groups and “propaganda against the regime.
Conviction: 10 years and 8 months imprisonment

 


67. Emad Sharghi

Date of Arrest: Fall 2020
Date of Release: N/A
Nationality: Iranian-American
Charges: Espionage and gathering military intelligence
Conviction: 9 years imprisonment and a fine of 600,000 euros

 


68. Tavakoli

Date of Arrest: Unknown
Date of Release: Unknown
Nationality: Dual Nationalities
Charges: Espionage
Conviction: 8 years and 6 months imprisonment

 


* 69. Habib Chaab

Date of Arrest: November 2021
Date of Release:
Unknown
Nationality:
Iranian-Swedish
Charges:
Spreading corruption on earth, leading an anti-regime group, attemptign to sabotage public and private places and planning terrorism operations, destruction of public property
Conviction:
Unknown

_________________________

For further inquiries please contact Skylar Thompson, Senior Advocacy Coordinator Human Rights Activists in Iran (HRA) at [email protected]

Ahmad Reza Jalali’s Lawyer Expresses Concern About His Condition in Evin Prison

Ahmad Reza Jalali’s lawyer, Helaleh Mousavian, has expressed concern about her client’s condition in Evin Prison. According to HRANA, the news agency of Human Rights Activists, Reza Jalali is a university professor and dual citizen of Iran and Sweden currently on death row.

The professor, who traveled to Iran in May 2016 at the invitation of the University of Tehran, was arrested by security forces on charges of “moharebeh through espionage for Israel”. Moharebeh, loosely translated as “waging war against God”, is a pillar of Sharia Law that is typically applied to those suspected of connection to any acts against the state.

Mr. Jalali was sentenced to death for espionage, and the sentence was upheld by the Supreme Court in December 2017.

Ahmad Reza Jalali worked at the Center for Natural Disasters after graduating from medical school in Iran. He immigrated to Sweden in 2009 to continue his studies and earned a doctorate. He completed his postdoctoral in Disaster Medicine at the University of Piedmont in Italy, and later, settled in Sweden with his wife and two children.

According to a HRANA report published in November 2020, Ahmad Reza Jalali was transferred to solitary confinement for a week to be prepared for execution. In December of that year, Ms. Mousavian was informed that her client’s death sentence was put on hold and he was transferred to ward 209 of Evin prison.

“Fortunately, Mr. Jalali was transferred to a public ward in April, but so far, despite all the efforts, his death sentence has not changed,” Mousavian said. “I am very worried about my client, especially now that the presidential election is over and the result is out. Despite my repeated expressions of concern, no effective action has been taken by the country of dual citizenship and the European Union.”

The Updated Identities of 38 Prisoners with National-Security Charges in Ward 7 of Evin Prison

The following list contains the name of the prisoners with national-security charges who are currently imprisoned in ward 7 of Evin Prison and have charges such as “relationship with enemy states” and “espionage”. Most of these prisoners are in the ward 7 but some of them are locted in wards 4 and 8 of Evin Prison. Many of these prisoners have denied their charges and believe their charges are based on political intentions. In this list, there are many dual-citizens or prisoners with permanent residence permit of a foreign country.

Most of the prisoners with national-security charges are tried based on the Article 501 (espionage) or the Article 508 (collaboration with an enemy state) of the Islamic Penal Law. Due to lack of transparency in the trial process by the judicial system and uncertainty in having a fair trial, this list is created according to charges pressed by the judicial system against these prisoners. Human Rights Activists News Agency in Iran (HRANA) is unable to confirm or reject such charges. HRANA updates the list of the prisoners based on different categories, charges, and geographical location periodically in order to inform its audience and support victims of human rights violations.

The following is the updated identities of 38 prisoners with national-security charges in the ward 7 of Evin Prison:

 

  1. Amir Hossein (Iman) Seyrafi, was sentenced to a seven-year prison term on the charge of “collaboration with a hostile government”. He is a computer engineer and his expertise are in cyber security.
  2. Amir Salimi Aghdam was sentenced to a five-year prison term on the charge of “espionage”. He is a professor with a jurisdiction doctorate degree.
  3. Babak Al-Ebrahim was sentenced to a three-year prison term on the charge of “collaboration with the hostile government of Israel”. He has a master’s degree in economy from Germany.
  4. Javid Javidnia was sentenced to a 10-year prison term on the charge of “collaboration with the hostile government of Israel”. He has a doctoral degree in geophysics from the Netherlands.
  5. Ahmad Reza Jalali (Djalali) was sentenced to death on the charge of “collaboration with the hostile government of Israel”. He is a Swedish-Iranian dual citizen and a university professor.
  6. Anoush Ashouri is sentenced to 10 years in prison on the charge of “collaboration with a hostile government of the United Kingdom”.
  7. Hamidinia was sentenced to five years in prison on the charge of “collaboration with a hostile government”. He is a foreign affairs specialist and a former employee of Iran’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
  8. Reza Jokari was sentenced to 10 years in prison on the charge of “collaboration with the hostile government of Israel”. He is a physics engineer and an employee of Bushehr Nuclear Power Plant.
  9. Shahab Manzouri was sentenced to six years imprisonment on the charge of “collaboration with the hostile government of the United Kingdom”.
  10. Xiyue Wang was sentenced to 10 years imprisonment on the charge of espionage for the United States. He is a Chinese American dual citizen.
  11. Mokhtar Salehi was sentenced to 10 years imprisonment on the charge of “collaboration with the hostile government of Israel”. He is an Iranian Kurd and has a high school diploma.
  12. Sattar Sheykh was sentenced to 10 years in prison on the charge of “collaboration with the hostile government of Israel”. He has a doctoral degree in art from Tehran University of Art.
  13. Ali Kebritsaz Tavakoli was sentenced to five years in prison on the charge of “collaboration with the hostile government of Israel”.
  14. Mohammad Ali Babapour was charged with “collaboration with the hostile government of the United States of America”. His does not have a sentence yet.
  15. Seyed Javad Noorjamali was sentenced to 10 years in prison on the charge of “collaboration with the hostile government of Israel”. He is a computer engineer and a network administrator.
  16. Shahab Damiri was sentenced to a 10-year prison term on the charge of “collaboration with the hostile government of Israel”. He was a wrestling captain.
  17. Ali Asgari was sentenced to a seven-year prison term on the charge of “collaboration with a hostile government”.
  18. Ali Kashefi was sentenced to a 10-year prison term on the charge of “collaboration with the hostile government of Israel”. He is a professor of Sharif University.
  19. Kamran Ghaderi was sentenced to a 10-year prison term on the charge of “collaboration with the hostile government of Israel”. He has a doctoral degree in electrical engineering from the University of Vienna in Austria.
  20. Mohammad Asnaashari was sentenced to a three-year prison term on the charge of “collaboration with the hostile government of Israel”. He has a master’s degree in computer programming.
  21. Mohammad Javad Zarei was sentenced to a 7-year prison term on the charge of “collaboration with the hostile government of the United States of America”.
  22. Mehdi Zarei was sentenced to a 10-year prison term on the charge of “collaboration with the hostile government of the United States of America”.
  23. Ali Johari was sentenced to a 10-year prison term on the charge of “collaboration with the hostile government of Israel”.
  24. Kiumars Marzbain was sentenced to 25-year prison term on the charge of “collaboration with the hostile government of the United States of America”.
  25. Farid Faridnia, a Kurdish citizen, was sentenced to a seven-year prison term on the charge of “collaboration with the hostile government of Israel”.
  26. Manouchehr Mohammad Ali was sentenced to 10 years imprisonment on the charge of “collaboration with a hostile government”. He has a doctoral degree in French literature.
  27. Masoud Kiani was sentenced to five years imprisonment on the charge of “collaboration with the hostile government of Israel”. He has doctorate in dentistry from Ukraine.
  28. Mehdi Ahmadi was sentenced to 10 years imprisonment on the charge of “collaboration with the hostile government of the United States of America”. He has a master’s degree in cyber security from the University of Virginia.
  29. Najaf Hesari, a Kurdish citizen, was sentenced to three years imprisonment on the charge of “collaboration with the hostile government of Israel”.
  30. Ali Azarifar was sentenced to 10 years imprisonment on the charge of “collaboration with the hostile government of Israel”. He has a doctoral degree in programming from Australia.
  31. Seyed Mahmoud Mousavi was charged with “collaboration with the hostile government of Israel”. He does not have a sentence yet.
  32. Amir Rahimpour was charged with “collaboration with the hostile government of the United States of America” and his sentence is still unknown. He has a master’s degree in electrical engineering.
  33. Afshin Salehi was sentenced to 24 months imprisonment on the charge of “collaboration with the hostile government of Israel”. He has a bachelor’s degree in computer.
  34. Mohammad Amini was sentenced to 28 months imprisonment on the charge of “collaboration with the hostile government of the United States of America”. He has a master’s degree in computer.
  35. Jalil Baroghi was sentenced to 10 years imprisonment on the charge of “collaboration with the hostile government of Israel”. He has a bachelor’s degree in electrical engineering.
  36. Mohammad Omidi was sentenced to 10 years imprisonment on the charge of “collaboration with the hostile government of Israel”. He was a former employee of Iran’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
  37. Masoud Mosaheb was charged with “collaboration with the hostile government of Israel”. He does not have a sentence yet.
  38. Mohammad Amin Nasab was sentenced to 10 years in prison on the charge of “collaboration with the hostile government of the United Kingdom”. He is an Iranian-British dual citizen.
  39. Majid Nikafraz was sentenced to 10 years in prison on the charge of “collaboration with the hostile government of Israel”.

This list only contains the national-security related prisoners in this ward.  Other political prisoners with charges such as “assembly and collision”, “propaganda against the state”, and “missionary” are also held in this ward.

Ahmad Reza Jalali is under pressure for forced confession

Ahmad Reza Jalali, a dual citizen who was sentenced to death, was transferred to an unknown place on July 29, 2019 returned to Evin prison on August 7. He is under pressure for a forced confession for a new case and was threatened to be executed earlier if he chose to not cooperate.  His wife, Vide Mehrnia, told HRANA that “we do not know how and to where he was transferred. He contacted his family and said that he was threatened to have a forced confession otherwise he will be executed”. She added that his physical condition was deteriorating, so he was supposed to be transfer to the hospital this week to receive required medical treatment but instead, he is under severe physical and mental pressure. He contacted his family earlier and informed them that he was transferred to a monitored solitary confinement cell and his execution is probable.

He was transferred to the hospital on November 16, 2018 for sever stomach pain. He underwent surgery on November 18 and was returned to the prison a day after the surgery. He was deprived from medical care although he was suspected to have cancer.

Ahmadreza Jalali (borne on January 14, 1971) professor and researcher at the Research Center for Crisis Management of Europe, a researcher at Karolinska University, author of numerous books and reference articles in crisis management and visiting scholar at University of Pie Monto in Italy, was living in Sweden until he was arrested. After finishing a medical degree in Iran, he moved to Sweden in 2009 to study natural crisis management where he obtained a Ph.D. in this field and later a postdoctoral position in medical crisis from Piemonto University in Italy. He was residing in Sweden with his wife and two children. Jalali, which recently became a Swedish citizen, was sentence to death with charge of espionage and his sentence was also confirmed by the Iranian Supreme Court in December 2017.

Ahmad Reza Jalali who traveled to Iran on an invitation by Tehran University and Shiraz University to participate in crisis management workshops, was arrested in April 2016 by the Ministry of Intelligence agents and was held in solitary confinement for seven months. He has been charged with “Moharebeh through espionage for Israel”. Tehran’s prosecutor accused Jalali of “transferring sensitive projects documents related to research, military, defense, and nuclear for money and Swedish citizenship for himself and his family”. 

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Ahmad Reza Jalali Transferred to Ward 240 of Evin Prison

RANA News Agency – Ahmad Reza Jalali, a researcher and medical doctor and a former resident of Sweden who has been held in detention on security charges, since May 2016, was recently transferred from ward 209 to ward 240 of Evin Prison after announcing a hunger strike. The family of this Iranian-Swedish citizen has no information about him and is concerned about his fate.
According to the report of Human Rights Activists News Agency in Iran (HRANA), family members of Ahmad Reza Jalali are in fear and not knowing this prisoner’s situation. Continue reading “Ahmad Reza Jalali Transferred to Ward 240 of Evin Prison”