More than three months after his disappearance in Iran, the family of jailed VUB professor Ahmadreza Djalali has received new information about his location.
The Swedish-Iranian physician has been returned to Evin Prison in Tehran, according to his wife, Vida Mehrannia, who shared the update on the social media platform X. She reiterated her call for his immediate release.
Mehrannia stated that Djalali was transferred back to Evin Prison on Wednesday.
She expressed gratitude on X to Swedish Foreign Minister Maria Stenergard, the Flemish Parliament, the European Commission, the United Nations, and Amnesty International for their continued efforts to secure Djalali’s freedom.
The 54-year-old VUB professor has been detained in Iran since 2016.
In a trial widely condemned by human rights activists as grossly unfair, Iranian authorities sentenced him to death on charges of espionage and cooperating with Israel, a country Iran considers its adversary.
Djalali, who had travelled to Iran at the invitation of Iranian universities, was granted Swedish citizenship in 2018 after his conviction.
However, Iranian authorities refuse to recognise the rights of dual nationals, effectively blocking Sweden’s ability to assist him.
