Despite protests
German-Iranian Sharmahd executed
At the beginning of 2023, the German-Iranian Djamshid Sharmahd was sentenced to death on terror charges. Now Iran has carried out the punishment despite protests.
In Iran, the German-Iranian dual citizen Djamshid Sharmahd was executed on terror charges despite international criticism of the death sentence. As the official justice portal Misan announced, the execution took place in the morning. Germany had called for the verdict to be overturned.
Death sentences in Iran are usually carried out by hanging. The verdict against Sharmahd was confirmed by the Supreme Court in April 2023. Human rights activists – and especially Sharmahd’s daughter Gazelle, who lives in the USA – fought to save him until the end.
The federal government had sharply criticized the verdict and called for Sharmahd’s release. The execution of the death sentence is likely to lead to new tensions in diplomatic relations between Tehran and Berlin. Although Iran rigorously enforces the death penalty, executions of Western foreigners are extremely rare.
Death sentence against Djamshid Sharmahd
In February 2023, a revolutionary court held the 69-year-old responsible for, among other things, a terrorist attack and accused him of collaborating with foreign secret services. The allegations cannot be verified. According to Islamic legal belief, Sharmahd was convicted of “corruption on earth.”
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© Rouzbeh Fouladi/ZUMA Press Wire/action press
Sharmahd was reportedly kidnapped by Iranian intelligence in Dubai in the summer of 2020 and taken to Iran. Since then he has been imprisoned in Tehran. Previously, Sharmahd lived in the USA for years. His family and human rights groups rejected the allegations against him.
Strained relations between Iran and Europe
After the wave of protests in Iran in autumn 2022 and the violent state crackdown on the demonstrations, relations between Iran and Europe have deteriorated. Iran’s government is also criticized for its Middle East policy and military support for Russia.
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Source: Stern
I have been working in the news industry for over 6 years, first as a reporter and now as an editor. I have covered politics extensively, and my work has appeared in major newspapers and online news outlets around the world. In addition to my writing, I also contribute regularly to 24 Hours World.
