Amnesty International has protested at the death sentence handed out by Iran to a doctor accused of working for Israel.

It said there has been no evidence to show that Ahmadreza Djalali was anything other than “peacefully pursuing” his profession.

Mr Djalali, a specialist in emergency medicine and university lecturer who is a resident of Sweden, was detained in Iran in 2016.

According to Amnesty, one of his lawyers said the court verdict stated he had worked with the Israeli government.

In an audio recording released on YouTube, Mr Djalali said he was subject to psychological torture and threats to execute him to make him confess to spying for a hostile government.

Philip Luther, Amnesty International’s Middle East and North Africa research and advocacy Director, said: “No evidence has ever been presented to show that he is anything other than an academic peacefully pursuing his profession.

“If he has been convicted and sentenced for peacefully exercising his rights to freedom of expression, association and assembly, including through his academic work, the authorities must immediately and unconditionally release him and drop all charges against him.”