Iranian-German national executed in Iran over terrorism conviction

Iran has announced the execution of Jamshid Sharmahd, an Iranian-German national convicted of orchestrating terrorist attacks.

Sharmahd, who held US residency, was sentenced to death in 2023 on charges of “corruption on earth,” a capital offence under Iran's Islamic legal framework. Iranian authorities accused him of leading a pro-monarchist group responsible for a deadly 2008 bombing and allegedly plotting additional attacks in the country, Caliber.Az reports, citing foreign media sources.

The German government strongly condemned the execution, calling it unjust and inhumane. German Chancellor Olaf Scholz expressed outrage on social media platform X, describing the act as “a scandal” and noting that Sharmahd was not afforded an adequate defence.

German Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock echoed this sentiment, criticizing Iran’s “inhumane regime” and stating that Berlin had repeatedly warned Tehran that executing a German citizen would bear “serious consequences.”

Iran’s intelligence ministry first announced Sharmahd’s arrest in 2020, labelling him as the “ringleader” of the Kingdom Assembly of Iran, also known as Tondar, a pro-monarchist group based in Los Angeles. The organization advocates for the restoration of the Iranian monarchy that was dismantled by the 1979 Islamic Revolution and operates pro-opposition media outlets abroad.

Friedrich Merz, the leader of Germany’s Christian Democratic Union (CDU), denounced the execution as a “heinous crime” and urged the German government to reconsider its stance toward Iran. Merz argued that the approach of “quiet diplomacy” had been ineffective, calling instead for a decisive response, including the expulsion of the Iranian ambassador from Germany.

Sharmahd’s execution has sparked renewed scrutiny over Iran’s treatment of dual nationals and raised tensions between Tehran and Berlin as European leaders call for accountability in cases of state-sponsored violence against foreign nationals.

By Khagan Isayev