Controversial verdict: German-Iranian Sharmahd executed in Iran

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. Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock (Greens) now strongly condemned its enforcement. A high-level team has been sent to Iran several times. “We have repeatedly made it clear to Tehran that the execution of a German citizen will have serious consequences,” said Baerbock. Iran’s judiciary denied consular access to Sharmahd until the very end.

Sharmahd was born in the Iranian capital Tehran, grew up in Germany and most recently lived in the USA. From there, his daughter Gazelle also tried in vain to save her father. Neither pleading appeals nor political pressure had any effect.

For example, CDU leader Friedrich Merz took on a political sponsorship. He condemned the execution as a “heinous crime” and called for the Iranian ambassador in Berlin to be expelled. “The downgrading of diplomatic relations to the chargé d’affaires level is appropriate,” wrote Merz on Platform X.

Renata Alt (FDP), chairwoman of the Bundestag Committee on Human Rights and Humanitarian Aid, spoke of “terrible news”. The brutal execution was “further evidence that constructive negotiations are not possible with this terrorist regime.”

Judgment surrounding the exiled opposition group “Tondar”

A revolutionary court convicted Sharmahd on terror charges in spring 2023. The background is probably his involvement in the Iranian exile opposition group “Tondar” (Thunder). The Iranian government accuses the monarchist organization of being responsible for an attack in 2008 in the city of Shiraz that left several people dead. The allegations cannot be independently verified. Sharmahd’s family and human rights activists vehemently denied the allegations.

Sharmahd sat in court in blue striped prisoner clothing, as is common in Iran. State media repeatedly published photos of the 69-year-old – sometimes with glasses, sometimes with a face mask and his eyes wide open. The depressing images are the last publicly known images before his execution. Death sentences in Iran are usually carried out by hanging.

Critics described the trial as grossly unfair – Sharmahd was not allowed to choose his own lawyer and his whereabouts remained unknown until the end. Confessions broadcast on state television may have been obtained under torture. The German-Iranian was abducted under mysterious circumstances during a trip from Dubai to Iran in the summer of 2020; several reports speak of a kidnapping by Iranian intelligence. Since then he has been in solitary confinement.

The family accused the federal government of inaction

The federal government had sharply criticized the death sentence against him and called for Sharmahd’s release. His daughter Gazelle regularly accused the Foreign Office of inaction. The execution of the death sentence is likely to lead to new tensions in diplomatic relations between Tehran and Berlin. After the wave of protests in Iran in autumn 2022 and the violent state crackdown against the demonstrators, relations between Iran and Europe have deteriorated. Iran’s government is also criticized for its Middle East policy and military support for Russia.

The trial was presided over by “Judge of Death”

Executions of European citizens are extremely rare in Iran. But last year, the Iranian judiciary sparked an outcry by executing death sentences against a Swede and a Briton, both of whom also had Iranian citizenship. Experts have repeatedly criticized the fact that Iran’s security apparatus imprisons foreigners in order to free important officials abroad. Sharmahd’s family also hoped for such a deal until the end. The case of the German-Iranian is politically extremely explosive. This was also evident in Iranian reactions to criticism from Berlin. At the beginning of 2023, then Foreign Office spokesman Nasser Kanaani said that Germany was reacting too emotionally. “The Islamic Republic of Iran will not ask anyone’s permission to act against terrorism.”

The Sharmahd trial was presided over by Abolghassem Salawati, also known as the “Judge of Death,” who was sanctioned by the United States and the European Union.