Jailed Iranian academic on hunger and thirst strike

A jailed Iranian scientist is refusing food and water after he was barred from having his own lawyer.

Ahmadreza Djalali, an Iranian national and disaster medicine scholar at 바카라사이트 Vrije Universiteit Brussel (VUB), has gone on thirst strike after his choice of attorney was rejected by state authorities in Iran.

It is believed 바카라사이트 45-year-old academic will be appointed a state attorney when he faces charges of spying. If found guilty, he is likely to face 바카라사이트 death penalty, he was informed at a court hearing in January.

More than 224,000 people have now signed a demanding 바카라사이트 release of Dr Djalali, who was arrested in April 2016 while visiting 바카라사이트 University of Tehran and Shiraz University, where he had been invited to attend a workshop on disaster medicine.

In December 2016, Iranian authorities reportedly put Dr Djalali under intense pressure to sign a statement confessing to be a spy for a ¡°hostile government", his supporters say.

When he refused to sign, 바카라사이트y indicated he would be charged with ¡°enmity against God¡± (moharebeh), which carries 바카라사이트 death penalty.

In protest, Dr Djalali began a hunger strike on 26 December and started refusing fluids on 24 February.

He has now lost 27kg and weighs just 55kg, according to 바카라사이트 @Free_Ahmadreza?Twitter account and #SaveAhmad hashtag started by his supporters.

Writing in a to 바카라사이트 Supreme Leader of Iran, 바카라사이트 New York-based organisation Physicians for Human Rights (PHR) expressed its ¡°deep concern over 바카라사이트 imprisonment of Dr Ahmadreza Djalali on false charges¡±.

In 바카라사이트 letter from its chairman of directors Kerry J. Sulkowicz, dated 1 March, 바카라사이트 organisation said it is ¡°gravely concerned that his health has deteriorated¡± since his hunger strike began, ¡°putting his life at grave risk¡±.

¡°I respectfully implore you to ensure Dr Djalali¡¯s immediate release unless he is charged with a recognizable criminal offense, in line with international law and standards,¡± said Dr Sulkowicz.

¡°We are concerned that he appears to have been targeted for peacefully exercising his rights to freedom of expression, association, and assembly,¡± he added.

PHR also noted that Dr Djalali has 바카라사이트 right under Iranian law to have 바카라사이트 lawyer of his choice represent him and that authorities ¡°ensure he has access to his family, including communication with his wife in Sweden¡±.

¡°As 바카라사이트 Persian New Year approaches, my colleagues and I ask you to honour 바카라사이트 tradition of mercy and compassion at 바카라사이트 time of Nowruz, and release Dr Djalali from detention so that he can continue his humanitarian work and be reunited with his family,¡± Dr Sulkowicz added.

jack.grove@tesglobal.com