This petition is directed to the Iranian Attorney General Mohammad Jafar Montazeri, Iranian UN Representative Gholamali Khoshroo, and Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif, asking for Dr. Ahmadreza Djalali to be granted comprehensive and unfettered access to medical care while in Evin Prison.

Dr. Ahmadreza Djalali is an Iranian-Swedish medical doctor, who was arrested on suspicion of espionage in March of 2016 while visiting Iran to participate in academic workshops. He was subsequently held in solitary confinement in Evin Prison for 10 months without charges or access to an attorney of his choosing. The Supreme Court of Iran sentenced Dr. Djalali to death without legal due process, and his lawyers were not granted the necessary information to file an appeal, effectively denying Dr. Djalali any opportunity to overturn his death sentence and barring him from a legitimate legal challenge to the case.

The nature of Dr. Djalali’s incarceration has created a multitude of health issues, because of which we are appealing to Attorney General Mohammad Jafar Montazeri, UN Representative Gholamali Khoshroo, and Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif, asking that Dr. Djalali is granted full access to necessary medical attention. Shortly into his detainment, Dr. Djalali began suffering from rapid weight loss, osteomalacia, heart and kidney malfunctions, and gastrointestinal bleeding that exhibited signs of a tumour. Despite his myriad of health issues, he was denied all access to medical care. Though on 18 November 2018, Dr. Djalali had an emergency hernia surgery, he was returned to prison the next day, which resulted in additional medical complications from a lack of proper postoperative care.

In addition, three recent blood tests taken by Dr. Djalali exhibited deep bone marrow suppression, which is a strong induction of leukemia. Despite this, he is continually denied access to a doctor or any other form of medical assistance. The lack of medical care has exacerbated his health issues, and Dr. Djalali’s health is rapidly deteriorating without the necessary attention. This is cruel and inhumane treatment of a prisoner and in violation of Article 5 of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, guaranteeing freedom from such treatment. As such, we respectfully ask the aforementioned Iranian Officials to grant Dr. Djalali comprehensive medical attention in light of his rapidly decaying health.   

As a signatory country to the UN Charter, the UN’s Universal Declaration of Human Rights, and International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights, Iran’s refusal to provide Dr. Djalali with necessary and proper medical care infringes on Iran’s commitment to the protection of human rights as outlined in these documents. Alongside the growing number of scholars and activists, including the 124 Nobel Laureates who recently pled on behalf of Dr. Djalali, we ask that Attorney General Mohammad Jafar Montazeri, UN Representative Gholamali Khoshroo, and Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif grant Dr. Djalali unfettered and comprehensive access to medical care.