The United Nations Office at Geneva
Multimedia Newsroom
Iranian authorities announced yesterday that while the execution currently scheduled to take place by 21 May maybe postponed following a request from Ahmedreza Djalali’s lawyers, “the verdict is final, and the execution will be carried out.”
“We are deeply alarmed by the imminent execution in the Islamic Republic of Iran of Swedish-Iranian doctor and academic Ahmedreza Djalali and urgently call on the Iranian authorities to halt the execution and revoke his death sentence,” said Throssell.
Djalali was arrested in October 2017 while on a visit to Iran to attend academic workshops on disaster medicine.
“He was charged with espionage and later convicted and sentenced based on a confession that was reportedly extracted under torture, and after a trial that failed to meet international standards. In the current circumstances, the execution would therefore constitute an arbitrary deprivation of life,” she said.
“Use of the death penalty for espionage offences is incompatible with international human rights law. Countries that have not yet abolished the death penalty may only impose it for the “most serious crimes.” which is interpreted as crimes of extreme gravity involving intentional killing,” concluded Throssell.
For more information and media requests, please contact for more information and media requests, please contact: Ravina Shamdasani - + 41 22 917 9169 / ravina.shamdasani@un.org or
Liz Throssell + 41 22 917 9296 / elizabeth.throssell@un.org or Lori Brumat - + 41 22 928 9149 / lori.brumat@un.org
Tag and share - Twitter: @UNHumanRights and Facebook: unitednationshumanrights
SHOTLIST
- Exterior shot: Alley of Flags Palais des Nations
- Cut away: medium shot briefing room
- SOUNDBITE (English)—Liz Throssell, Spokesperson for UN High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR): “We are deeply alarmed by the imminent execution in the Islamic Republic of Iran of Swedish-Iranian doctor and academic Ahmedreza Djalali and urgently call on the Iranian authorities to halt the execution and revoke his death sentence.”
- Cut away: Wide shot briefing room
- SOUNDBITE (English)—Liz Throssell, Spokesperson for UN High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR): “He was charged with espionage and later convicted and sentenced based on a confession that was reportedly extracted under torture, and after a trial that failed to meet international standards. In the current circumstances, the execution would therefore constitute an arbitrary deprivation of life.”
- Cut away: podium briefing room
- SOUNDBITE (English)—Liz Throssell, Spokesperson for UN High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR): “Use of the death penalty for espionage offences is incompatible with international human rights law. Countries that have not yet abolished the death penalty may only impose it for the “most serious crimes.” which is interpreted as crimes of extreme gravity involving intentional killing.”
- Cut away: Wide shot briefing room
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