Czech Republic – Radio Farda, May 14, 2025
More than 20 former dual-national and non-Iranian prisoners who were once detained in Iran have signed an open letter addressed to the Swedish Prime Minister, urging serious action from the Swedish government to secure the release of Ahmadreza Djalali—a researcher who has been imprisoned in Evin Prison under a death sentence for over nine years.
The signatories propose a solution to the Swedish government for negotiating with Iran, emphasizing that while condemning Tehran’s policy of “hostage diplomacy,” governments also have a moral obligation to save their innocent citizens from foreign prisons. They describe their proposal as “a rare opportunity for a bilateral humanitarian action.”
In the open letter to Ulf Kristersson, a copy of which was obtained by Radio Farda, they state that while the Islamic Republic and its “abhorrent hostage diplomacy” are primarily to blame, the Swedish government must also stop issuing “empty statements” and act with urgency and seriousness on the case.
These former detainees claim, quoting some Swedish diplomats, that Sweden treats Djalali as a “second-class citizen” and has not provided the level of support he deserves.
Ahmadreza Djalali, a doctor and disaster medicine specialist, was working with universities in Sweden and Belgium when he was arrested during a trip to Iran about a decade ago to attend a conference. He was accused of “moharebeh” (enmity against God) and collaboration with Israel, and sentenced to death.
Sweden, where Djalali’s wife and two children live, granted him citizenship two years after his arrest and has since been following his case.
The former prisoners’ letter also references a recent social media post by Iran’s Deputy Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi, in which he laments the deterioration of previously close commercial ties between Iran and Sweden.
