June 23, 2025
URGENT APPEAL
Urgent Appeal for the Life of Dr. Ahmadreza Djalali – Letter from His Wife to the Swedish Prime Minister
On June 22, 2025, Vida Mehrannia, the wife of Swedish citizen and academic Dr. Ahmadreza Djalali, sent a heartfelt letter to Prime Minister Ulf Kristersson, urging Sweden and its international partners to take immediate action to secure her husband’s release from Iran. Dr. Djalali has been arbitrarily detained by the Islamic Republic of Iran since 2016 and has been held under a standing death sentence since 2017, following a sham trial and torture.
This plea comes at a moment of heightened danger. The escalation of conflict in the region, and especially Iran’s intensified crackdown on individuals accused of espionage for Israel, has significantly increased the risk to Dr. Djalali’s life. Read more here…
Debate Article, June 17, 2025
Debate Article in Göteborgs-Posten, June 17, 2025:
Why is the regime in Eritrea allowed to violate human rights without consequences?
“Regional challenges and the EU’s increased focus on stopping irregular African migration have led to a growing reluctance to put pressure on Eritrea for serious human rights violations. It is time for Sweden and the EU to issue a clear ultimatum to Eritrea: immediately release Dawit Isaak and all political prisoners, comply with international law, or face serious consequences”
The debate article was published in Sweden’s leading regional daily Göteborgs-Posten today June 17, in Swedish. A longer and more extensive version of the article, in English, can be read here here. The article was co-signed signed by Susanne Berger, Senior Fellow with the Raoul Wallenberg Centre for Human Rights (RWCHR) and Caroline Edelstam, Co-Founder and President of the Edelstam Foundation.
STOCKHOLM, 12 June 2025
Meeting with former President Michelle Bachelet during her visit to Sweden
Ms. Caroline Edelstam, President of the Edelstam Foundation, today had the honor of meeting with Ms. Michelle Bachelet, former President of Chile and former United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights, during her visit to Sweden to mark the 30th anniversary of International IDEA – the International Institute for Democracy and Electoral Assistance.
Also present at the meeting were H.E. Mr. Tucapel Jiménez Fuentes, Ambassador of Chile to Sweden, and Dr. Kevin Casas-Zamora, Secretary-General of International IDEA.
The Swedish diplomat Ambassador Harald Edelstam saved more than 1,500 lives during the military coup in Chile in 1973.
Chile’s transition from dictatorship to democracy is a powerful reminder of the importance to protect and uphold democracy, human rights, and the rule of law. At a time when democratic values are under increasing pressure across the world, we must unconditionally stand up for these fundamental principles.
Photo 1 (above): Ms. Caroline Edelstam with Ms. Michelle Bachelet and H.E. Mr. Tucapel Jiménez Fuentes, Ambassador of Chile to Sweden.
Photo 2 (below): Ms. Caroline Edelstam with Ms. Michelle Bachelet and Dr. Kevin Casas-Zamora, Secretary-General of International IDEA.
PRESS RELEASE – London, the 30th of April 2025
World’s Longest-Imprisoned Journalist Honored on the Eve of World Press Freedom Day
“JUSTICE WALL” IN LONDON CALLS ON THE WORLD TO SAY HIS NAME: DAWIT ISAAK
On the eve of World Press Freedom Day, Human Rights Solidarity, a London- based organization committed to defending civil liberties and free expression, will host a public demonstration on Friday, 2 May, from 11:00 AM to 1:30 PM outside The Guardian headquarters at Kings Place, 90 York Way, London N1 9GU. The event, open to media, NGOs, rights groups, and the public, will spotlight one of the gravest injustices in modern media history: the prolonged imprisonment of Mr. Dawit Isaak — a Swedish-Eritrean journalist, playwright, and father who has been held incommunicado in Eritrea for 24 years, without charge, trial, or access to a lawyer.
The initiative is co-sponsored by the Edelstam Foundation, the Raoul Wallenberg Centre for Human Rights (RWCHR), Eritrea Focus, and the International Bar Association’s Human Rights Institute (IBAHRI).
READ THE FULL PRESS RELEASE HERE
The event is published on UNESCO’s list of celebrations around the worl
Press Release: Stockholm, the 8th of March 2025 –– The Swedish government’s actions for Djalali must be followed by demands for Isaak and Gui
The Edelstam Foundation, Reporters Without Borders and the Raoul Wallenberg Centre for Human Rights express strong support for the Ministry of Foreign Affairs’ latest statement on Ahmadreza Djalali, the Swedish citizen and Iranian academic who is at risk of execution and whose health condition has seriously deteriorated. We welcome the government’s resolute action to ensure Djalali’s human rights and demand his immediate release and access to medical care.
DAWIT ISAAK’S DAUGHTER, BETLEHEM ISAAK, ADRESSED THE U.N. OPENING FOR THE UN GENEVA SUMMIT 2025
Betlehem Isaak, Swedish-Eritrean writer, and daughter of journalist Dawit Isaak who has been detained in Eritrean prison without trial for 24 years, addressed the U.N. Opening for the 17th Annual Geneva Summit for Human Rights and Democracy on February 17th, 2025.
PRESS RELEASE FEBRUARY 6, 2025: WASHINGTON – THE NATIONAL PRESS CLUB DEMANDS THE IMMEDIATE RELEASE OF JOURNALIST DAWIT ISAAK
The National Press Club in Washington has issued a statement demanding the immediate release of journalist Mr. Dawit Isaak, a prisoner of conscience and the world’s longest arbitrarily detained journalist. Mr. Dawit Isaak, the 2024 Edelstam Prize Laureate, has been unlawfully imprisoned since 2001 without trial. He has not been charged with a crime, nor has he been allowed to speak with his lawyer. Read the full press release here
For press information in other languages please visit our International Press Room
World’s Longest Arbitrarily Detained Journalist Receives the Edelstam Prize
The Edelstam Prize 2024 was awarded to Mr. Dawit Isaak for his outstanding contributions and exceptional courage in standing up for freedom of expression, one’s beliefs, and in the defence of Human Rights. The prize was awarded during a ceremony at the House of Nobility in Stockholm, Sweden, on 19th November 2024. Read more…
FEBRUARY 3, 2025, INTERVIEW WITH CAROLINE EDELSTAM; PRESIDENT OF THE EDELSTAM FOUNDATION; BY HENOK TEKL, ERIPM (Eritrean Public Media)
VIDEOS FROM THE PRIZE AWARDS CEREMONY & SEMINAR, NOVEMBER 19-20, 2024
Edelstam Prize Award Ceremony
19 November 2024
Edelstam Prize Seminar
20 November 2024
Press Conference
11 November 2024
PHOTOS FROM THE PRIZE AWARD CEREMONY
SCREENING OF THE MOVIE “NORMA – A QUEST FOR JUSTICE”
On November 14, Norma – A Quest for Justice was screened in Geneva, sharing the story of Norma Andrade, a 2022 Edelstam Prize laureate. The documentary follows Norma’s 23-year struggle for justice after her daughter, Alejandra, was murdered in Ciudad Juárez—a city marked by ongoing violence against women.
Norma’s case, now before the Inter-American Court of Human Rights, could become only the second feminicide case ruled on by the court. The event featured welcome remarks from representatives of the Kofi Annan Foundation, the Belgian Mission to the UN, and the film’s director, followed by a panel discussion with Norma Andrade, her lawyer, and experts from UN Women and the Geneva Graduate Institute.
The screening was organised in partnership with UN Women, FILMAR en América Latina, The Edelstam Foundation, and others.
Hostage Aid has long called on governments to unite & act to free their citizens from #Iran; especially in Djalali’s case, where the threat of execution has loomed for years.
Ahmadreza has been tortured & isolated. His children have grown up without him. His wife has begged for justice. And still, he waits, in a cell, in silence.
The time for polite diplomacy is over.
The time for courage, for bold, public, relentless pressure, is Now.
The time to #SaveAhmadreza is Now.
The time to end this family’s nightmare is Now.
The time to #BringDjalaliHome is Right Now… before the regime makes it too late forever!
#SaveAhmadreza #BringDjalaliHome #FreeDrJalali #احمدرضا_جلالی
Maria Malmer Stenergard Swedish Ministry for Foreign Affairs Amnesty International SverigeAmnesty International België Vlaanderen Amnesty International Belgique francophone Council of the European Union European Commission European Parliament Kaja Kallas Geert Bourgeois VUB - Vrije Universiteit Brussel David Lega Charlie Weimers MEPThe Raoul Wallenberg Centre for Human Rights Roberta Metsola The Edelstam Prize Göran Gustavsson
#unlawfullydetained #hostages #humanrights #hostageaidworldwide
It is both moving and powerful to see Dr. Ahmadreza Djalali’s name on everyone’s lips at Almedalen – Sweden’s most important political week.
During Expressen’s debate with the Minster of Foreign Affairs, Ms. Maria Malmer Stenegard and Mr. Morgan Johansson, spokesperson of Foreign Affairs for the Social Democrats for Foreign Affairs in the Parliament, former Deputy Prime Minister, former Minister for Home Affairs, former Minister of Justice, the case of Dr. Ahmadreza Djalali, a Swedish citizen and academic, is facing imminent execution in Iran was brought up.
On June 23, he was removed from his cell in Tehran’s Evin Prison, ordered to gather all his belongings, and once again moved yesterday, and has since been held incommunicado. His current location is unknown, and fears for his life are growing by the hour.
Iran holds thousands of political prisoners, including French nationals Cécile Kohler and Jacques Paris, and Shahab Dalali, a U.S. resident from Virginia. Amid ongoing regional violence, detainees are unable to seek shelter, and are dependent on prison guards for food, water, and essential medications.
Dr. Djalali has been imprisoned since 2016 on fabricated charges of espionage—a case condemned by the UN and human rights organizations worldwide. Despite international pressure, Iranian authorities continue to use his case as political leverage.
Swedish Ministry for Foreign AffairsUlf Kristersson Morgan Johansson HAW - Hostage Aid Worldwide The Raoul Wallenberg Centre for Human Rights #ahmadrezadjalai
