VUB guest professor Djalali suffers heart attack in Iranian prison

Ahmadreza Djalali, a VUB guest professor imprisoned in Iran, has suffered a heart attack, raising urgent concerns over his deteriorating health.

Djalali, an Iranian-Swedish emergency doctor and guest professor at the Free University of Brussels (VUB), suffered a heart attack while detained in Tehran’s Evin prison. His wife, Vida Mehrannia, reports his condition is critical, but he will not see a cardiologist until Sunday due to the weekend.

Detained since 2016 on espionage charges, Djalali remains at risk of execution. His health has significantly declined, prompting renewed appeals from his wife and lawyer to the Swedish and Belgian governments for urgent intervention. In a recent audio message, Djalali warned that without action from European leaders, his death would be inevitable, either from execution or poor health.

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Marking nine years of imprisonment in April, Djalali’s plight has drawn widespread international criticism. Human rights organisations, including Amnesty International, have repeatedly called for his release. Conditions in Evin prison are harsh, and there is a lack of adequate medical care.

Despite past prisoner exchange deals involving other detainees, Djalali was excluded. The Belgian and Swedish governments continue to face calls for stronger diplomatic efforts to secure his freedom.

^{Protest in front of the Iranian embassy in Brussels to ask the liberation of university professor Ahmadreza Djalali in Iran © BELGA PHOTO LOU LAMPAERT}