Flemish Minister-President Jan Jambon asked the Supreme Leader of the Iranian Revolution, Ali Khamenei, by letter not to carry out the death sentence imposed on the Swedish-Iranian visiting professor of the VUB, Ahmadreza Djalali, and to pardon him. Mr Jambon clarified this on Friday in the Flemish parliament where he was questioned regarding this in the Foreign Policy Committee.
The Flemish parliament unanimously adopted a resolution on May 4 once morest the execution of Ahmadreza Djalali, scheduled for May 21. The Flemish MPs wanted to know the steps taken by the Minister-President in the meantime. Mr. Jambon said that during a telephone conversation earlier this week with the Iranian ambassador, he “condemned the execution in the strongest possible terms” and called for the implementation of alternatives.
Besides the letter to Khamenei, Jambon also wrote to Federal Prime Minister Alexander De Croo and EU High Representative Josep Borrell asking that the European Union step up pressure on Iran. The Minister-President admitted that he had few additional means to intervene in the file. But he believes it is important to continue to pay attention to Professor Djalali. If the death sentence is carried out, “I will plead for additional sanctions at European level“, he said once more.
