Key Takeaways:
– Iranian-German prisoner, Jamshid Sharmahd, was executed in Iran following disputed terrorism charges.
– Tehran accused Sharmahd, a resident of California for two decades, of organizing attacks in Iran.
– His execution comes after Israel launched a retaliatory attack against Iran.
– The German government expelled two Iranian diplomats in response to Sharmahd’s death sentence.
– Rights groups report that Iran carries out the second-highest number of international executions annually following China.
Dispute Surrounding Sharmahd’s Conviction
A resident of Glendora, California for over two decades, Jamshid Sharmahd, 69, has been executed in Iran after being convicted of disputed terrorism charges. Sharmahd was one of several Iranian dissidents residing abroad who were either deceived or forcibly returned to Iran in recent years, following tumultuous political unrest in Iran post-collapse of its 2015 nuclear deal with world powers.
Amidst ongoing Mideast wars, Israel carried out a retaliatory attack against Iran just days before Sharmahd’s execution. Iran’s judiciary, while not directly associating the execution with Israel’s attack, claimed that Sharmahd was supposedly “under orders from masters in Western intelligence agencies, the United States and the child-killing Zionist regime” when allegedly executing attacks in Iran.
Charges Against Sharmahd
Apart from his supposed involvement in orchestrating a 2008 mosque attack that purportedly injured over 200 and killed 14, Iran accused Sharmahd of planning further assaults through the Kingdom Assembly of Iran opposition group and its Tondar militant wing. Iran further charged Sharmahd with “disclosing classified information” about missile locations of Iran’s paramilitary Revolutionary Guard during a 2017 television program.
Sharmahd’s family, however, firmly presumes his innocence and had consistently been vying for his release over the years. They were not immediately available for comment following his execution announcement.
International Reactions to Sharmahd’s Execution
In response to Sharmahd’s death sentence, Germany expelled two Iranian diplomats in 2023. The U.S. State Department labeled Iran’s treatment of Sharmahd as “reprehensible,” and portrayed his trial as a “sham.” Both the German government and the U.S. State Department have not yet responded to requests asking for comment.
Amnesty International has also stated that Sharmahd had faced a “grossly unfair trial,” as he was denied access to an independent attorney and “the right to defend himself.” The government-appointed attorney allegedly refused to represent Sharmahd without a $250,000 upfront payment from the family.
Despite running a website that included claims of “responsibility for explosions in Iran,” Sharmahd always denied any connection with the attacks, Amnesty reported.
Circumstances of Sharmahd’s Abduction
Sharmahd was visiting Dubai in 2020 on a business trip related to his software company, when he was kidnapped. His family last heard from him on July 28, 2020. Despite his abduction’s details remaining unclear, tracking data showed his phone’s movement from Dubai to Al Ain, then crossing the border into Oman. Iranian authorities announced his capture two days later, calling it a “complex operation.”
Execution Rates in Iran
Amnesty International and other human rights groups cite Iran as one of the top executioners worldwide, second only to China. The execution rate in 2023 was reported as the highest since 2015, showing a 48% uptick from 2022 and a 172% surge from 2021. Further, Human Rights Watch reported that Iran executed a minimum of 87 individuals in August, including 29 in a single day.