What changed

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

B100284/2025

Motion for a European Parliament resolution on The case of Ahmadreza Jalali

(2025/2753(RSP))

– having regard to its previous resolutionsRules on144 theof Islamicits RepublicRules of Iran,Procedure,

– having regard to Rules 150(5) and 136(4) of its Rules of Procedure,

A. whereas Ahmadreza Djalali, a Swedish national, is at medical doctor and academic, is at immediate risk of execution;

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 Mr Djalali was arrested in April 2016, sentenced to death for “corruption on earth,” in a sham trial relying on “confessions” obtained through torture and other ill-treatment and remains arbitrarily detained in Evin prison in inhumane conditions;

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 Mr Djalali´s health situation is gravely deteriorating. Whereas due to a heart attack in prison, severe physical and psychological ill-treatment and high stress, he is at risk of sudden cardiac death;

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 there is an alarming surge in executions in Iran, with at least 972 persons killed in 2024 which according to Amnesty International is the highest figure since 2015. Whereas particularly following the 'Woman, Life, Freedom' uprising, authorities have used the death penalty to spread fear and strengthen control;

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. Firmly denounces the Iranian regime’s unrestrained repression of human rights, including the excessive use of the death penalty;

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

2. Demands the immediate unconditional release of Ahmadreza Djalali and all other arbitrarily detained foreign and dual nationals, including Olivier Grondeau, Cécile Kohler and Jacques Paris; strongly denounces the Iranian government´s hostage diplomacy;

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

3. Urges the Iranian government to halt any plans to execute Dr. Ahmadreza Djalali and put a moratorium on all executions and release and retrial persons threatened with execution in a due process, particularly for charges that under international law never result in capital punishment; calls on Iranian authorities to respect their international obligations under the ICCPR;

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. Expresses its solidarity with Mr. Djalali´s family and friends who have not seen him in 9 years, and to others arbitrarily detained in Iran and their loved ones;

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. Reiterates its condemnation of the execution of Jamshid Sharmahd. Urges the Iranian government to provide details on the circumstances of his death and return his remains to his family;

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. Urges Iranian authorities to provide the UN Special Rapporteur on the situation of human rights in Iran and the UN Fact-Finding Mission with full, unimpeded access to enact their mandates; calls on the EU and Member States to fully support the mission and the renewal of its mandate;

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 HR/VP to denounce the Iranian authorities’ use of the death penalty and raise the case of Mr Djalali, and other detained EU citizens, publicly and bilaterally in all interactions with their Iranian interlocutors;

5. Reiterates its8. callCalls on the Council to designate thecontinue Islamicidentifying Revolutionaryand Guardsanctioning Corpsperpetrators aresponsible terroristfor organisationserious andhuman extendrights EUviolations sanctionsand tohostage alldiplomacy. thoseReiterates responsibleits forcall takingto EUadd nationalsthe hostageIRGC andto forthe massEU executionslist of opposition voices and other human rightsterrorist violations;organisations;

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;

9. Calls on EU member states to initiate criminal investigations against Iranian officials accountable for serious human rights violations, notably under universal jurisdiction;

7. Emphasises that EU-Iran engagements must be founded on tangible progress on democracy, the rule of law, human rights and the release of all political prisoners;

10. Calls on the European Commission to increase financial, technical and capacity support to Iranian civil society;

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

11. Instructs its President to forward this resolution to EU institutions, HRVP, the Member States, and Iran;

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.