Call for the IRGC to be Designated as a Terrorist Organization in Germany

A number of Iranian and German activists, along with a member of the German state parliament, have issued a call for the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) to be placed on the list of terrorist organizations. The signatories of this statement urged the European Union, the Council of Europe, and the German government to take necessary actions to include the IRGC on this list. Mina Ahadi, a political activist and one of the signatories, referred to the killing of Jamshid Sharmhad as a 'state-sponsored murder' of a German citizen, stating, 'This action by the government should not be considered personal, as it is another example of the escalating overt violence of the Islamic Republic that cannot be deemed concluded with a symbolic reaction.' The signatories also viewed the closure of three Iranian consulates in Germany, following the execution of Jamshid Sharmhad, a dual Iranian-German political prisoner, as a positive but insufficient step. They called for a clear and coherent response to the threats posed by the IRGC in the European Union. Among the signatories are Soheila Anzali, Behrouz Asadi, Minou Barati, Ulrike Becker, the Berlin Middle East Freedom Association, Behnam Ebrahimzadeh, Maria Mahmoudi, Mina Khani, Dieter Karg, Valerio Kruger, Maryam Namazi, Daniela Sepehri, Yasamin Shakri, Rebecca Schonenbach, Sara Sedighi, Shirin Shams, Yasamin Tabatabai, Gabi Ol, and Shoaleh Pakrovan. The German Foreign Ministry announced on November 1 that it would close all Iranian consular offices in the country, although the Iranian embassy would remain open. This is the latest action by Germany against the Iranian government following the execution of Jamshid Sharmhad by the Islamic Republic. A spokesperson for the German Foreign Ministry stated that Mr. Sharmhad's execution has created 'severe' tension in bilateral relations between Berlin and Tehran. At the same time, Germany summoned its ambassador from Iran in protest against Sharmhad's execution and summoned the chargé d'affaires of the Iranian embassy in Berlin to express its objections. Meanwhile, Asghar Jahangir, spokesperson for the Iranian judiciary, claimed on Tuesday, November 7, regarding the execution of Jamshid Sharmhad that he 'suffered a stroke before the execution and died.' This comes as the Mizan news agency, affiliated with the judiciary, reported on November 1 that the execution of Jamshid Sharmhad had taken place. Ghazaleh Sharmhad, Jamshid Sharmhad's daughter, has called for 'punishment for his murderers.'