The 45-year-old Djalali was arrested in April 2016 in Iran, while he was visiting his family. He spent no less than seven months in isolation, without ever getting a trial or seeing a lawyer.
'Since Wednesday some bad news has come to light', says De Morgen. 'Djalali told his sister he has been forced to sign a confession, for which he will receive the death penalty. The Iranian governement is calling it a matter of national security. They blame him for collabaration with scientist from foreign, enemy states.
Sign the petition
Meanwhile a petition was started via www.change.org and it has been signed more than 185.000 times up to now.
Amnesty International has also been involved and more than a few prominent Iranians are supporting the petition. Djalali has a wife and two children.
This is an outrageous violation of universal human rights, against which we should react decisively
Rector Caroline Pauwels calls to action. “A scientist performing important humanitarian work, gets sentenced without public trial and is looking at the death penalty", she says. "This is an outrageous violation of universal human rights, against which we should react decisively."