Germany Expels 2 Iranian Diplomats Over Death Sentence

BERLIN — Germany announced Wednesday that it is expelling two Iranian diplomats in response to an Iranian death sentence imposed on one of its citizens.

Jamshid Sharmahd, an Iranian-German citizen and US resident who is 67 years old, was sentenced to death in Iran on Tuesday for terrorism.

Iran says Sharmahd is the leader of the armed wing of a group that wants to bring back the monarchy that was overthrown in the 1979 Islamic Revolution. However, his family says he was just the opposition group’s spokesman and had nothing to do with any attacks.

German Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock said she summoned Iran’s charge d’affaires in Berlin and informed him, “we will not accept this massive violation of the rights of a German citizen.”

“Because of this, the German government has told two people from the Iranian embassy that they are unwanted and asked them to leave Germany right away,” she said. “We demand Iran revoke Jamshid Sharmahd’s death sentence and allow him to file a fair and legal appeal.”

Sharmahd, who lives in Glendora, California, did not have “even the start of a fair trial,” says Baerbock. He was repeatedly denied access to consular services and the trial. She also claimed that he was arrested “under highly questionable circumstances,” though she did not elaborate.

Sharmahd’s family claims that Iranian intelligence kidnapped him from Dubai in 2020.

Germany Believes Sharmahd Was Convicted Of Terrorist Plotting

Sharmahd was convicted of terrorist plotting, according to the official website of Iran’s judiciary. He was tried in a Revolutionary Court, where proceedings are held behind closed doors, and defendants cannot choose their lawyers or see the evidence against them, according to rights groups.

The death penalty, which can be appealed, comes amid months of anti-government protests in Iran and germany sparked by the death of a 22-year-old woman detained by morality police for allegedly violating the country’s strict Islamic dress code.

Protesters have demanded that the country’s ruling clerics be deposed. Outside of Iran, monarchists support the protests, as do other groups and individuals with opposing ideologies.

According to rights groups, security forces attacked demonstrators with live ammunition, birdshot, and batons. According to Human Rights Activists in Iran, a group monitoring the unrest, at least 530 protesters have been killed, and nearly 20,000 have been arrested.

Iranian authorities have blamed germany the protests on hostile foreign powers without providing evidence, and no official figures for those killed or arrested have been released.

Iran has executed four men accused of protest-related violence, and activists claim at least 16 others have been sentenced to death.

SOURCE – (AP)