Protests Erupt in Berlin Following Execution of German-Iranian Activist
A large crowd of demonstrators gathered outside the German Foreign Ministry in Berlin on Monday to protest the execution of Jamshid Sharmahd, a German-Iranian citizen who had been imprisoned in Iran for four years on charges related to terrorism. Sharmahd, aged 69, was born in Tehran but spent much of his childhood in Germany before relocating to Los Angeles in the early 2000s, where he eventually became a US resident.
Sharmahd, a skilled software engineer, was an outspoken advocate for the Iranian opposition, dedicating years to campaigning against the regime. In 2020, he was forcibly abducted by Iranian security forces during a layover, leading to his imprisonment. The Iranian authorities accused him of orchestrating a terrorist attack and disclosing sensitive information, ultimately handing him a death sentence in 2023 after enduring months of solitary confinement.
His daughter, Gazelle Sharmahd, tirelessly fought for his release, appealing to both the German and US governments for intervention. She revealed that her father endured horrific conditions in solitary confinement and expressed her frustration toward both nations for their inadequate support in his plight.
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In a poignant article for Die Tageszeitung, journalist Gilda Sahebi criticized the German government’s handling of the situation, noting that Gazelle Sharmahd was left to navigate this battle alone. “In dealing with the Iranian regime, the German government has opted for a strategy of ‘quiet diplomacy’,” she stated, “which is arguably the least effective approach to engage with a dictatorial state like the Islamic Republic.” Sahebi highlighted the government’s reluctance to label Jamshid Sharmahd as a political hostage, contrasting it sharply with the actions of other countries such as France, Denmark, and Austria, which have successfully negotiated the release of their own citizens deemed “state hostages.”
‘We Have Worked Tirelessly’
German Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock condemned the Iranian regime’s actions, stating her outrage over the execution. In a post on X, she expressed her condolences to Sharmahd’s family, saying, “I extend all my sympathy to his family for this terrible loss. We have worked tirelessly on behalf of Jamshid Sharmahd and dispatched high-level teams to Tehran on several occasions. We have made it unequivocally clear to Tehran that the execution of a German national would bear serious consequences.”
Friedrich Merz, the leader of the CDU, has been a vocal advocate for Sharmahd’s cause for years. He denounced the execution as a “heinous crime” and urged the German government to take immediate action by expelling the Iranian ambassador from Berlin.
Reports from human rights organizations indicate that in the first ten months of 2024 alone, over 500 individuals have been sentenced to death and executed in Iran, highlighting the ongoing human rights crisis in the country.
