In a letter addressed to 13 rectors at Swedish universities and colleges, such as Lund University, KTH and Chalmers, the Royal Academy's Permanent Secretary Göran K. Hansson urges the rectors to "work vigorously for the release of Ahmadreza Djalali".
He also asks them to use all their "contacts with the government, authorities, university rectors, researchers and others in Iran to save his life".
13 universities and colleges
The Permanent Secretary of the Academy of Sciences addresses the 13 universities and colleges that, according to an SVT review, had a collaboration with Iran after his arrest and in some cases even after the Swedish-Iranian disaster researcher at Karolinska Institutet was sentenced to death.
According to human rights organizations, the trial against Djalali violated fundamental legal principles.
In his letter to the Swedish universities, the Permanent Secretary of the Academy of Sciences refers to Belgium, where Djalali was a visiting professor and where universities froze all cooperation with Iranian universities after the death sentence.
"A great responsibility rests on you"
The letter comes after a parliamentary debate in which the Minister of Education Matilda Ernkrans abdicated responsibility for Swedish Iranian cooperation.
"Higher education institutions are independently responsible for the activities conducted at the individual higher education institution, including international collaborations," she replied at the time.
"A great responsibility rests on you," writes the Academy's permanent secretary, referring to Ernkran's statement, who believes that there is still time to act when the execution of the verdict has been temporarily postponed.
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"It's serious" - Three politicians react Photo: Daniel Hols / SVT