The World Medical Association (WMA) has appealed to leaders of Iran to intervene in preventing the imminent execution of an Iranian-born Swedish doctor.
In a letter to the Supreme Leader and President of Iran, the WMA President Dr. David Barbe and Chair Dr. Frank Ulrich Montgomery disclosed that report indicated that the death sentence would shortly be carried out on Dr. Ahmadreza Djalali, who is a specialist in emergency medicine.
They said the news appalled the WMA, even after repeated calls from the international community for Dr. Djalali’s release.
The emergency medicine specialist has been in detention for a death penalty since his arrest in April 2016 on espionage charges.
The WMA leaders write, “Various sources of information unanimously confirm that Dr. Djalali is a specialist in emergency medicine peacefully pursuing his profession. We believe that he is a prisoner of conscience.
“The freedom of expression and the right to a fair trial are fundamental human rights enshrined in the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights that the Republic of Iran has ratified in 1975 and for which you are accountable. We, therefore, call on the Iranian authorities to take immediate action in line with its commitments and to release Dr. Djalali immediately and unconditionally.
“We appeal to your humanity and sense of justice and trust that you will take promptly all the necessary steps related to our demands.”
