German Citizen Executed in Iran for Leading Terror Operations
Jamshid Sharmahd, a German citizen of Iranian descent and US resident, has been executed in Iran after being convicted of leading terrorist operations. The execution was confirmed by Iranian state media, with the news site Mizan stating that the death sentence was carried out on Monday. Sharmahd, described as a “criminal terrorist” by Mizan, was accused of being hosted by American and European countries and operating under the protection of their intelligence services.
Sharmahd, who held US residency, was sentenced to death in 2023 on charges of “corruption on earth,” a capital offense under Iran’s Islamic laws. He was found guilty of heading a pro-monarchist group responsible for a deadly bombing in 2008 and planning other attacks in the country.
Germany’s foreign minister, Annalena Baerbock, strongly condemned Iran’s “inhumane regime” for the execution of the 69-year-old German citizen. Baerbock emphasized that Berlin had repeatedly warned of serious consequences if a German national was executed.
Sharmahd was apprehended by Iranian authorities in August 2020 while traveling through the United Arab Emirates. Iran, which does not recognize dual citizenship, announced his arrest after a “complex operation” without providing further details. The Iranian intelligence ministry described Sharmahd as the “ringleader of the terrorist Tondar group, who directed armed and terrorist acts in Iran from America.”
The little-known Kingdom Assembly of Iran, also known as Tondar, operates from Los Angeles and aims to restore the Iranian monarchy that was overthrown in the 1979 Islamic revolution. It runs pro-Iranian opposition radio and television stations abroad.
The execution of Sharmahd has been condemned by the European Center for Constitutional and Human Rights (ECCHR) as “shocking.” Wolfgang Kaleck, ECCHR’s secretary-general, criticized the Iranian regime for denying Sharmahd a fair trial with independent defense. Amnesty International has also reported that Sharmahd was subjected to enforced disappearance, torture, and other ill-treatment.
Sharmahd, although born in Tehran, does not hold an Iranian passport and is a German citizen residing in California, USA, according to his family. His daughter, Gazelle Sharmahd, previously expressed frustration with the German government’s approach of private negotiations, stating that it had not yielded positive results.
Source : CrimeDoor