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.”

Arrest of Swedish National in Iran Raises Concerns Amidst String of Arbitrary Detentions

The Swedish Ministry of Foreign Affairs has disclosed the recent arrest of a Swedish national in Iran within the past two weeks.

The detainee, whose identity remains undisclosed, was apprehended in the early days of the new year and is currently held in custody. The Ministry revealed that the individual is a resident of the central regions of the country.

“The embassy in Tehran is in contact with local authorities. The Foreign Ministry is in contact with relatives in Sweden,” as reported in an email statement to Reuters.

This arrest is part of a concerning trend of arbitrary detentions of foreign citizens by the Iranian regime. It comes in the wake of the trial and life sentence conviction of former IRGC official Hamid Nouri in Sweden for his involvement in the mass execution of political prisoners in 1988. Notably, another Swedish national, Johan Floderus, was arrested by the Iranian regime in April 2022 and is presently on trial, facing espionage charges. The situation underscores growing international apprehension regarding the safety of foreign nationals in Iran.

Swedish Johan Floderus Faces Indictment in Iran

The Iranian Judiciary spokesperson has announced the indictment of Swedish Diplomat Johan Floderus, as reported by Mizan, the judiciary’s news agency.

In a press conference, Setayeshi revealed that Floderus’s case has been forwarded to the court.

In April 2022, Floderus visited Iran. As he was departing Iran on April 16, 2022, he was detained by the Ministry of Intelligence at the airport on charges of espionage.

In July, the Ministry of Intelligence issued a statement asserting that Floderus had made multiple trips to Iran. During his last visit, he was allegedly on a mission to uncover the identity of another spy who had been apprehended in Iran. Intelligence agents monitored his communications and, after accumulating evidence, arrested him under a warrant issued by the judiciary.

It is worth noting that on May 6, 2022, the Swedish Ministry of Foreign Affairs confirmed his detention in Iran. The Swedish daily newspaper Aftonbladet described his arrest as a retaliatory move by Iran’s regime in response to the trial of Hamid Nouri, a prominent figure involved in the 1988 executions of Iranian political prisoners. Nouri had been arrested in November 2019 in Sweden and subsequently convicted of crimes against humanity.

Hamid Nouri Sentenced to Life Imprisonment by Swedish Court

A Swedish court sentenced former IRGC official Hamid Nouri to life imprisonment for his role in the mass execution of political prisoners in 1988. At the time, Nouri was working as the assistant to the Deputy Prosecutor of Rajai Shahr Prison. In 2019, Nouri was arrested upon arrival at the airport in Sweden for committing crimes against humanity under the rules of universal jurisdiction.

According to HRANA, the news agency of Human Rights Activists, on July 15, 2022, Hamid Nouri was sentenced to life in prison by a Swedish court for “crimes against humanity (war crimes) and murder.”

As the assistant to the deputy prosecutor, Nouri had an important role in the execution of thousands of political prisoners between July and September of 1988.

On November 9, 2019, Nouri was arrested upon arrival at Stockholm’s Arlanda Airport.

At least 60 witnesses and 12 experts testified in his trial.

In an interview, a former Iranian Judge, who was the head of the so-called Death Committee at that time, justified these atrocities as “a necessary action against conspirators’ plots.”

In 1988, by the direct order of Iran’s former Supreme Leader Ruhollah Khomeini, a committee (later known as the Death Committee), including current President Ebrahim Raisi, was established to execute thousands of political prisoners.

Swedish Tourist Arrested in Iran

A Swedish newspaper reported the arrest of a Swedish tourist in Iran. According to this report, he had travelled to Iran on a tour.

According to HRANA, the news agency of Human Rights Activists, quoting Swedish newspaper  Aftonbladet, a Swedish citizen was arrested while he was leaving Iran.

Without revealing the individual’s identity, this newspaper mentioned that he is about 30 years old and speculated the arrest is the Iranian regime’s attempt to retaliate against the ongoing trial of Hamid Nouri, who has been accused of complicity in the mass executions of political prisoners in the 1980s. In November 2019, Hamid Nouri was arrested in Sweden and indicted for a “crime against humanity.”

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