Today, Amnesty provides an update on the situation of Ahmadreza Djalali.  

- We have received new information and it is bad news, says Maja Åberg Amnesty's contact person regarding the Djalali case. 

- A very strong light is on in his cell 24 hours a day.

This is a pretty classic part of torture, which is painful physically and mentally.

He is kept in isolation and he is denied adequate care.

He sleeps on the floor with three blankets - one under him, one on himself and one as a pillow, says Maja Åberg. 

"Opinion has affected Iran"

It is the 

status quo

 of Ahmadreza Djalali who was arrested during a research visit to Iran in April 2016 accused of espionage.

In October 2017, he was sentenced to death for the same crime in a verdict questioned by human rights organizations.

The fact that the verdict has not yet been enforced has been interpreted by some as meaning that negotiations on a prisoner exchange are underway.

Iran has previously been accused of systematically arresting foreign researchers, especially those who also hold Iranian citizenship, and then using them for prisoner exchange.

Several Iranians have been arrested and convicted abroad for terrorist crimes that the Iranian state is suspected of being behind.

Some of them have been exchanged for researchers arrested in Iran.

Reactions to the arrest of Djalali have been strong, not least in Belgium where Djalali has been a visiting professor.

Several organizations have demanded that he be released.

Amnesty hopes that the fact that Djalali is still alive is due to the strong international pressure and to the Swedish government's work for Djalali. 

The anxiety has increased

The Swedish government's line has previously been to demand that Iran 

overturn the death sentence

.

Amnesty seems to see a change in the government's handling of the case: 

- We noted with pleasure that Foreign Minister Ann Linde during the foreign debate in the Riksdag on 24 February mentioned Ahmadreza Djalali's case and then for the first time said that the Ministry of Foreign Affairs is working for his 

release

, says Maja Åberg

.

This does not prevent the concern about Djalali's situation being great, according to Amnesty. 

- Execution is, as before, to be regarded as imminent.

Concerns about his physical and mental health have increased even more as he remains isolated, says Maja Åberg to SVT.