What changed

B100296/2025

European Parliament resolution on the case of Dr Ahmadreza Djalali in Iran

Motion for a European Parliament resolution on the case of Ahmadreza Jalali in Iran

(2025/2753(RSP))

The European Parliament,

– having regard to its previous resolutions on Iran;the Islamic Republic of Iran,

– having regard to itsRules rule150(5) and 136(4) of procedureits 150(5);Rules of Procedure,

A. whereas since 1 October 2024 over 1000 individuals have been executed in Iran, including political activists, women protesters, and minority group members;

A. whereas Swedish-Iranian national Dr Ahmad Reza Djalali, a specialist in emergency medicine and a scholar at Belgium’s Vrije Universiteit Brussel and Italy’s Università del Piemonte Orientale, was arrested on 24 April 2016 by the Iranian security forces;

B. whereas Iran systematically denies detainees due process, including access to counsel, use of torture, forced confessions, and extended solitary confinement;

B. whereas Djalali was sentenced to death on spurious espionage charges in October 2017 following a grossly unfair trial based on a confession extracted under torture; whereas the sentence was upheld by Iran’s Supreme Court on 17 June 2018;

C. whereas Iranian authorities engage in hostage diplomacy by arbitrarily detaining dual and EU citizens;

C. whereas Djalali has been denied adequate medical care despite the severe deterioration in his physical health and the risk to his life, including a recent heart attack at Evin prison; whereas Iran has continued to threaten to implement his death sentence;

D. whereas Professor Ahmadreza Jalali, a Swedish-Iranian academic specialist in disaster medicine, has been detained since April 2016, sentenced to death following a grossly unfair trial, denied legal representation and essential healthcare, and remains at imminent risk of execution despite international appeals;

D. whereas hundreds of individuals have already been executed in 2025 and at least 972 were executed in 2024, a 14 % increase on 2023;

1. Expresses its grave concern over the case of Ahmadreza Jalali; condemns his sentence to death penalty based on a coerced confession obtained under torture, and demands his immediate, unconditional release; calls for his immediate and unconditional release and, in the meantime, for his urgent and permanent transfer to a hospital or clinic where he can receive specialised and regular medical care that is not available in Evin prison;

E. whereas the Iranian Government refuses to recognise Djalali’s Swedish citizenship;

2. Reiterates its strong opposition to death penalty in all circumstances, urges Iran to introduce an immediate moratorium as a first step toward its abolition, and demands cessation of all executions;

F. whereas this case is part of a systematic pattern of unlawful detentions and hostage diplomacy by the Iranian regime;

3. Calls for the immediate and unconditional release of all EU and dual‐citizens detained in Iran, as part of an end to hostage diplomacy;

1. Calls on Iran to immediately release Dr Djalali along with all political prisoners currently being detained; calls on Iran to put a moratorium on executions and to abolish the death penalty;

4. Deplores ongoing practices of torture, including solitary confinement, forced confessions, and denial of legal defence, and urges Iran to uphold its international human rights obligations ;

2. Strongly condemns Djalali’s sham trial and the Iranian authorities’ brutal treatment of him, amounting to torture and ill treatment, as he was subjected to months of interrogation in solitary confinement, and then sentenced to death;

5. Urges the Council to designate the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) as a terrorist organisation, and to expand targeted sanctions under the EU human rights sanctions regime against individuals responsible for abuses, including in Jalali’s case;

3. Urges Iran to provide Djalali, whose health is deteriorating, with immediate and unrestricted access to necessary specialised medical care at an external hospital; urges Iran, furthermore, to provide Djalali with legal representation and legal defence, and allow him regular contact with his family;

6. Demands that Iran grant full access to UN human rights mechanisms, including the UN Special Rapporteur and fact-finding mission, to investigate abuse cases such as Jalali’s;

4. Calls on the relevant Member States and the European External Action Service to intensify diplomatic efforts and adopt targeted measures in response to Iran’s continued detention of EU nationals, including Cécile Kohler, Jacques Paris and others, as part of its hostage diplomacy and in violation of international law;

7. Calls on the High Representative and Member States to intensify diplomatic efforts to secure Jalali’s release, including through raising his case in bilateral negotiations and EU-Iran human rights dialogue;

5. Reiterates its call on the Council to designate the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps a terrorist organisation and extend EU sanctions to all those responsible for taking EU nationals hostage and for mass executions of opposition voices and other human rights violations;

8. Commends Iran’s women-led “Woman, Life, Freedom” movement, and encourages the EU to increase humanitarian and civil society funding aimed at empowering women, minorities, and independent academics;

6. Demands that Iran grant full access to UN human rights mechanisms, including the Special Rapporteur, and the EU’s full support and increase support for civil society organisations;

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10. Instructs its President to transmit this resolution to the Council, the Commission, the High Representative, the government and Supreme Leader of Iran, UN Secretary-General, and the UN Human Rights Council.

8. Asks the VP/HR to raise Djalali’s case publicly and in all engagements with her Iranian counterparts;

9. Instructs its President to forward this resolution to the Government of Iran, the VP/HR, the Commission, the Member States and the United Nations.