Iran has executed Jamshid Sharmahd, a 69-year-old German-Iranian political scientist, marking the end of his years of captivity in a high-profile case that has drawn international scrutiny and outrage. The execution has sparked widespread condemnation from both the German government and various international human rights organizations, who view it as a severe miscarriage of justice.
Sharmahd was put to death on Monday, inciting warnings from German officials about “serious consequences” that Iran could face due to its “inhumane regime.” The German government has called the action a blatant example of the Iranian authorities’ disregard for human rights, particularly regarding foreign citizens.
Sharmahd, who held both German and Iranian citizenship and was also a US resident, was seized by Iranian authorities during his travels in the United Arab Emirates (UAE) in 2020, a fact confirmed agonizingly by his family. His capture raised alarm bells, considering the geopolitical implications and the growing strain in Iran’s relations with Western nations.
Iran, which does not acknowledge dual nationality, announced his arrest through state-controlled channels, describing it as a “complex operation” though specifics surrounding the abduction have been largely withheld from the public. This lack of transparency has fueled speculation regarding the Iranian regime’s methods in detaining dissenters.
Iran’s Mizan news outlet categorized Sharmahd as a “criminal terrorist,” claiming he received backing from US and European intelligence agencies, a narrative that many critics argue is fabricated. The accusations have been denounced as part of a broader campaign to vilify opposition figures and justify state actions against them.
In February 2023, Sharmahd was sentenced to death for allegedly committing the capital offense of “corruption on Earth,” a sentence that was later endorsed by Iran’s supreme court in a move that shocked his supporters and human rights advocates around the world. His family has fervently maintained his innocence throughout the ordeal, calling into question the legitimacy of the charges against him.
The Iranian judiciary’s Mizan website confirmed, “the death sentence of Jamshid Sharmahd … was carried out this morning,” a statement that reverberated across global news platforms, prompting widespread outrage. Sharmahd was convicted due to his supposed involvement in a catastrophic mosque bombing in Shiraz in 2008 that tragically resulted in the loss of 14 lives and inflicted injuries on over 300 people, a claim that his family and supporters assert is groundless.
According to a report from the BBC, Gazelle Sharmahd, the daughter of Jamshid, openly urged German prosecutors to investigate the Iranian judiciary for its alleged mistreatment of her father while he was imprisoned. This public plea underscores the desperate measures his family felt compelled to take amid concerns for his safety and well-being.
In a July 2023 interview with the BBC, Gazelle expressed her growing fears, stating, “They’re killing him softly in solitary confinement in this death cell.” Her comments came on the heels of her father’s first phone call to his family in two years, which was a brief reprieve amidst the harrowing circumstances surrounding his plight. Gazelle further alleged that the Iranian regime sought to orchestrate a public execution for her father, aiming to deliver a chilling message: “They want a public execution for my dad, to send out this message of terror: that anybody who speaks out against the regime, we can do this to you.” Sharmahd was executed on Sunday, with this horrifying act receiving the stamp of approval from Iran’s Supreme Court, as reported by Mizan the following day.
The Iranian government accused Sharmahd of heading the Tondar group, which reportedly seeks to overthrow the current Islamic Republic regime and has been labeled a terrorist organization by Iranian authorities. In response to the execution, Germany’s Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock condemned the act, stating that it “shows once again what kind of inhumane regime rules in Tehran: a regime that uses death against its youth, its own population, and foreign nationals.” She reiterated that Berlin had consistently warned that the execution of a German citizen would evoke serious repercussions for Iran.
Baerbock extended her “heartfelt sympathy” to Sharmahd’s grieving family, emphasizing the German embassy in Tehran’s ongoing efforts to advocate for his rights and well-being. However, Mariam Claren, the daughter of another German-Iranian detainee, took to social media to accuse the German government of moral failure, claiming it could have intervened to prevent “this state murder” had it genuinely sought to protect its citizens.
Mahmood Amiry-Moghaddam, director of the Norway-based NGO Iran Human Rights (IHR), labeled the execution an “extrajudicial killing of a hostage,” intended to distract public attention from the Iranian regime’s myriad failures. He declared, “Jamshid Sharmahd was kidnapped in the United Arab Emirates and unlawfully transferred to Iran, where he was sentenced to death without a fair trial,” shedding light on the grave injustices faced by those detained for political reasons.
The European Center for Constitutional and Human Rights voiced similar concerns, condemning Sharmahd’s abduction, torture, unfair trial, and subsequent execution as indicative of the “countless crimes committed by the Iranian regime.” This growing chorus of condemnation highlights the urgent need for accountability regarding human rights violations in Iran.
In wake of Sharmahd’s execution, European Parliament member Hannah Neumann, who chairs the assembly’s Iran delegation, called for an urgent reassessment of the EU’s approach toward Tehran, stating that the execution “shows us clearly how we should judge this new government.” With multiple Europeans currently detained in Iran—among them at least three French citizens—the situation remains critical and requires immediate attention.
Human rights groups, including Amnesty International, underscore the grim reality that Iran carries out the second-highest number of executions annually, following only China. As of this year, the somber tally stands at 627 executions in Iran, with rights advocates vocally accusing the government of utilizing capital punishment as a tool of fear to suppress dissent and silence critics.
With inputs from agencies.
