IMMINENT EXECUTION OF SWEDISH-IRANIAN ACADEMIC AHMADREZADJALALI/STOP THE DEATH PENALTY/LETTER TO THE IRANIAN EMBASSY IN BELGIUM
Electric chair at the Florida State Prison
NO AGAINST DEATH PENALTY!
EMBASSY OF THE ISLAMIC REPUBLIC IRANTO THE EMBASSADOR Mr M. Barimani
Subject: Imminent execution of Dr Ahmadreza Djalali
Your Excellency,
My request is on behalf of Dr Ahmadreza Djalali, an an Iranian-Swedish specialist in emergency medicine.Recently I learnt from Amnesty International, that Mr Djalali, has been transferred to solitary confinement in Evin prison and told by the prosecution authorities that his death sentence will be carried out imminently. [1]In fact:No later than a week from 24 November. [2]
I write you, with the request to exert pressure on the authoritiesof your country to quash mr Djalali’s death sentence, as to release him,as shown in repeated calls from UN human rights experts [Human Rights Council,Working Group on Arbitrary Detention] [3]According to Amnesty International and the Human Rights Council,Working Group on Arbitrary Detention, mr Djalali was arbitrarily arrested [4], sentenced to death for “corruption on earth” (efsad-e fel-arz) in October 2017 after an unfair trial before Branch 15 of the Revolutionary Court in Tehran [5], had been tortured and held under inhuman conditions. [6]Arbitrary arrests are in contravention with articles 9 and 14 of the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights, signed by your country [7], like unfair trials [article 14, International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights] [8]Torture is also forbidden by the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights [article 7] [9]
Sofar my information I learnt from Amnesty International and Human Rights Council,Working Group on Arbitrary Detention.
Now my side of the story:
Of course I rely on the information of two recommendable human rights organizations, but even if the authorities of your country deny the accusations, then yet my request to stop the imminent execution of mr Djalali stands form.
Because I am a convinced and fundamental opponent of the death penalty,against all circumstances, regardless the committed crime.Why?Because I consider death penalty as a cruel and inhuman punishment andI am convinced of the fact, that everyone has a right to life, regardless.
No one should be deprived of his God given life.That’s my firm opinion.
And besides that:History learns, that it happens [and happened], that the wrong persons wereconvicted.
Had there still be a death penalty in the United Kingdom, the Guildford Four andthe Maguire Seven had been put to death for crimes they didn’t commit. [10]
And it was out of international solidarity that the Scottsboro boys in racistUSA in the thirties of the 20th century escaped death sentence forcrimes they didn’t commit. [11]
URGENT APPEAL
Mr Embassador, therefore I do an urgent appeal on you, forthe sake of humanity and mercy, to exert pressure on the autoritiesin your country to stop this imminent execution.
I hope I am not too late.
Think of it.Whatever mr Djalali really did, I think he is punished enough.
Every human being has the inherent right to life
God gave us the life
Only He can take it away.
Kind regards
Astrid EssedAmsterdamThe Netherlands
NOTES
[1]
AMNESTY INTERNATIONALIRAN:IMMINENT EXECUTION OF SWEDISH-IRANIAN ACADEMIC AHMADREZADJALALI MUST BE HALTED24 NOVEMBER 2020
https://www.amnesty.org/en/latest/news/2020/11/iran-imminent-execution-of-swedish-iranian-academic-ahmadreza-djalali-must-be-halted/
TEXT
Responding to news that Ahmadreza Djalali, an Iranian-Swedish specialist in emergency medicine, has been transferred to solitary confinement in Evin prison and told by the prosecution authorities that his death sentence will be carried out imminently, Amnesty International’s Deputy Director for the Middle East and North Africa, Diana Eltahawy, said:
“We were horrified to learn that the authorities have instructed the office in charge of implementing sentences to transfer Ahmadreza Djalali to solitary confinement and implement his death sentence no later than a week from 24 November.
“It is appalling that despite repeated calls from UN human rights experts to quash Ahmadreza Djalali’s death sentence and release him, the Iranian authorities have instead decided to push for this irreversible injustice. They must immediately halt any plans to execute Ahmadreza Djalali and end their shocking assault on his right to life.
“We call on members of the international community to immediately intervene, including through their embassies in Tehran, to save Ahmadreza Djalali’s life before it is too late.
“International human rights bodies have consistently held that it is a violation of the right to life to pass a death sentence after criminal proceedings that violate fair trial guarantees. Amnesty International opposes the death penalty in all cases and without exception as the ultimate cruel and inhuman punishment.”
Background
Ahmadreza Djalali was sentenced to death for “corruption on earth” (efsad-e fel-arz) in October 2017 after a grossly unfair trial before Branch 15 of the Revolutionary Court in Tehran. The court relied primarily on “confessions” that Ahmadreza Djalili says were obtained under torture and other ill-treatment while he was held in prolonged solitary confinement without access to a lawyer. These included threats to execute him, kill or otherwise harm his children, who live in Sweden, and his mother, who lives in Iran. Amnesty International has consistently held that that the offence of “corruption on earth” fails to meet requirements for clarity and precision needed in criminal law, and also breaches the principle of legality and legal certainty.
In a letter written from inside Evin prison in August 2017, Ahmadreza Djalali said he was held solely because of his refusal to use his academic ties in European institutions to spy for Iran.
On 17 December 2017, an Iranian state-run TV station aired Ahmadreza Djalali’s “confession” along with a voiceover presenting him as a “spy”. By extracting and airing these forced “confessions”, Iranian authorities violated Ahmadreza Djalali’s right to the presumption of innocence as well as the right not to be forced into incriminating himself. Since December 2017, his lawyers have filed at least two requests for a judicial review of Ahmadreza Djalali’s case, and both have been rejected.
In November 2017, the UN Working Group on Arbitrary Detention called on Iran to release Ahmadreza Djalali immediately and accord him an enforceable right to compensation and other reparations, as he had been detained without an arrest warrant, had only been formally charged 10 months after his arrest, and had been “effectively prevented from exercising his right to challenge the lawfulness of his detention”. The Working Group also found that his right to a fair trial had been violated to such a gravity “as to give Mr Djalali’s deprivation of liberty an arbitrary character”.
On 9 December 2018, his lawyers learned that Branch 1 of the Supreme Court had upheld his death sentence without granting them an opportunity to file their defence submissions on his behalf.
END OF STATEMENT
[2]
”We were horrified to learn that the authorities have instructed the office in charge of implementing sentences to transfer Ahmadreza Djalali to solitary confinement and implement his death sentence no later than a week from 24 November.”AMNESTY INTERNATIONALIRAN:IMMINENT EXECUTION OF SWEDISH-IRANIAN ACADEMIC AHMADREZADJALALI MUST BE HALTED24 NOVEMBER 2020
https://www.amnesty.org/en/latest/news/2020/11/iran-imminent-execution-of-swedish-iranian-academic-ahmadreza-djalali-must-be-halted/
[3]
OPINIONS ADOPTED BY THE WORKING GROUP ON ARBITRARY DETENTION AT ITS EIGHTEETH SESSION, 20-24 NOVEMBER 2017
OPINION 92/2017 CONCERNING AHMADREZA DJALALI (ISLAMIC REPUBLIC OF IRAN]
https://www.ohchr.org/Documents/Issues/Detention/A_HRC_WGAD_2017_92.pdf
[4]
” 12. The source submits that Mr. Djalali’s arrest and detention are arbitrary, being in contravention of articles 9 and 10 of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights and articles 9 and 14 of the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights, and fall within categories I and III of the categories applied by the Working Group.”
OPINIONS ADOPTED BY THE WORKING GROUP ON ARBITRARY DETENTION AT ITS EIGHTIETH SESSION, 20-24 NOVEMBER 2017
OPINION 92/2017 CONCERNING AHMADREZA DJALALI (ISLAMIC REPUBLIC OF IRAN]
https://www.ohchr.org/Documents/Issues/Detention/A_HRC_WGAD_2017_92.pdf
[5]
”Ahmadreza Djalali was sentenced to death for “corruption on earth” (efsad-e fel-arz) in October 2017 after a grossly unfair trial before Branch 15 of the Revolutionary Court in Tehran.
AMNESTY INTERNATIONALIRAN:IMMINENT EXECUTION OF SWEDISH-IRANIAN ACADEMIC AHMADREZADJALALI MUST BE HALTED24 NOVEMBER 2020
https://www.amnesty.org/en/latest/news/2020/11/iran-imminent-execution-of-swedish-iranian-academic-ahmadreza-djalali-must-be-halted/
[6]
”The court relied primarily on “confessions” that Ahmadreza Djalili says were obtained under torture and other ill-treatment while he was held in prolonged solitary confinement without access to a lawyer.”
AMNESTY INTERNATIONALIRAN:IMMINENT EXECUTION OF SWEDISH-IRANIAN ACADEMIC AHMADREZADJALALI MUST BE HALTED24 NOVEMBER 2020
https://www.amnesty.org/en/latest/news/2020/11/iran-imminent-execution-of-swedish-iranian-academic-ahmadreza-djalali-must-be-halted/
” 35. According to the source, Mr. Djalali is detained in inhuman conditions, in contravention of his right to be treated with humanity and respect for his inherent dignity. The source considers that this treatment constitutes a violation of article 10 (1) of the Covenant and falls short of the requirements of the United Nations Standard Minimum Rules for the Treatment of Prisoners (the Nelson Mandela Rules).12 In addition, the source claims that the treatment to which Mr. Djalali has been subjected is a violation of the prohibition of torture or other cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment or punishment under article 5 of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights and article 7 of the Covenant.”
OPINIONS ADOPTED BY THE WORKING GROUP ON ARBITRARY DETENTION AT ITS EIGHTEETH SESSION, 20-24 NOVEMBER 2017
OPINION 92/2017 CONCERNING AHMADREZA DJALALI (ISLAMIC REPUBLIC OF IRAN]
https://www.ohchr.org/Documents/Issues/Detention/A_HRC_WGAD_2017_92.pdf
[7]
ARTICLES 9 AND 14
Article 9
1. Everyone has the right to liberty and security of person. No one shall be subjected to arbitrary arrest or detention. No one shall be deprived of his liberty except on such grounds and in accordance with such procedure as are established by law……
Article 14
1. All persons shall be equal before the courts and tribunals. In the determination of any criminal charge against him, or of his rights and obligations in a suit at law, everyone shall be entitled to a fair and public hearing by a competent, independent and impartial tribunal established by law……..
INTERNATIONAL COVENANT ON CIVIL AND POLITICAL RIGHTS
http://hrlibrary.umn.edu/instree/b3ccpr.htm
| International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights | 4 Apr 1968 | 24 Jun 1975 | 23 Mar 1976 |
RATIFICATION OF INTERNATIONAL HUMAN RIGHTS TREATIES-IRAN
[8]
SEE NOTE 7
[9]
Article 7
No one shall be subjected to torture or to cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment or punishment. In particular, no one shall be subjected without his free consent to medical or scientific experimentation.
INTERNATIONAL COVENANT ON CIVIL AND POLITICAL RIGHTS
http://hrlibrary.umn.edu/instree/b3ccpr.htm
[10]
WIKIPEDIAGUILDFORD FOUR AND MAGUIRE SEVEN
[11]
WIKIPEDIASCOTTSBORO BOYS