Iranian decision to execute Swedish dual national sparks backlash
Reports that the Islamic Republic is set to execute the scientist came as a Swedish court prepares to sentence a former Iranian official in connection to the killing of thousands of political prisoners in his country in 1988.
Iranians took to social media to draw the world's attention to the Islamic Republic's plans to send a Swedish-Iranian national to the gallows for espionage.
The reactions followed a report by the official ISNA news agency indicating that Iran would implement the death penalty for Ahmad-Reza Djalali by May 21.
A disaster medicine scientist, Djalali was arrested in Iran in 2016 while on a visit upon invitation by two state universities. Iran alleges that the doctor passed on intelligence that Israeli spy agencies used to assassinate two nuclear scientists.
Djalali denied the allegation but made a videotaped confession, based on which he was handed the death penalty. Days later, the scientist released an audio file of himself explaining how he had been "psychologically pressured" and lured into the confession in exchange for promised freedom.
