Family of Sharmeh Responds to Islamic Republic's Claim of $2.5 Billion Damages: Another Attempt for 'Leverage'

The family of Jamshid Sharmeh issued a statement on Friday, March 16, in response to the Islamic Republic's claim of $2.5 billion in damages against him, urging the governments of Germany and the United States to act 'decisively' for the release of their hostages in Iran. They described the ruling of the Islamic Republic's judiciary as 'lies and propaganda' aimed at 'gaining leverage' from the West, accusing the Iranian government of spreading 'fear of murder' to silence its critics and their families. According to the statement, the Islamic Republic's 'sham courts' condemned Jamshid, 'a knowledgeable and aware individual like thousands of other innocent activists' in Iran based on fabricated charges and without any evidence. The Sharmeh family recalled the Iranian government's unsuccessful attempt to assassinate him in 2009, which was thwarted by the FBI. They stated that the abduction of Mr. Sharmeh is part of decades of the Islamic Republic's efforts to assassinate hundreds of government opponents worldwide and to target American and European officials. The family expressed regret that the U.S. and European governments have not provided what they call 'adequate responses' to the Iranian regime's threats against their citizens, emphasizing that they must first demand the unconditional release of all innocent hostages abducted by this government. They noted that over 1,300 days have passed since Mr. Sharmeh's abduction, expressing concern over his physical issues, including broken teeth, Parkinson's disease, severe chest pain, and shortness of breath, adding that he is completely isolated in an unknown location in Iran without access to phone or medical care. In the conclusion of their statement, they called on the U.S. and German governments to demand the immediate release of Jamshid Sharmeh and the cancellation of his death sentence from the Islamic Republic. According to Mr. Sharmeh's family, the U.S. and Germany should prioritize actions such as halting payments and financial transfers to Iran, revoking the entry permits for Islamic Republic airlines, and closing Iranian banks until his complete release. This comes as the United States responded on Monday to the Islamic Republic's claim of $2.5 billion in damages against the Tondar group, the Iranian Royal Association, Jamshid Sharmeh, and the U.S. government, stating that it will continue to support the right to freedom of expression for the people of Iran. Given that Tondar is an opposition group to the Islamic Republic in Iran, Matthew Miller, the U.S. State Department spokesperson, told a VOA Persian reporter that the United States supports the freedom of expression of the Iranian people for democratic political ideals and will continue to do so. It is unclear what the Islamic Republic aims to achieve by issuing financial judgments, as neither the Islamic Republic nor the plaintiffs have the means to collect. The U.S. State Department spokesperson stated that the U.S. has had doubts for years about the rule of law in the Iranian government system, which includes its judiciary. In this context, Mohammad Hossein Aghasi, a lawyer, warned on Monday in response to a VOA Persian question regarding the possibility of canceling Mr. Sharmeh's death sentence in light of this new ruling that cases like this dual-national citizen's sentence are dealt with 'as a criminal punishment independent of private claims,' and thus today's ruling should not be considered as the cancellation of the death penalty. The media center of the Iranian judiciary announced that the 55th branch of the Tehran International Claims Court condemned the Tondar group, the Iranian Royal Association, Jamshid Sharmeh, and the U.S. government to pay material, moral, and punitive damages amounting to $2.5 billion. According to this report, the Iranian judiciary claimed that this ruling was issued in response to 'the demands of the victims of the bombing in the Shiraz Hosseiniyeh in 2008.' The damage claim against the Tondar group, the Iranian Royal Association, and its imprisoned director, Jamshid Sharmeh, and the U.S. government was announced weeks after the launch of the 'Cut the Rope' campaign by Ghazaleh Sharmeh, Jamshid Sharmeh's daughter. On Friday, March 16, Ghazaleh Sharmeh told a VOA Persian reporter that she informed American lawmakers about her father's latest situation during a meeting, and they promised to help with all their might. Ms. Sharmeh had previously stated in an interview with VOA Persian that they are facing a wave of executions in Iran, noting that '834 people were executed just last year. More than 50 people were executed in January this year. We want to draw the world's attention to the executions in Iran with this campaign.' According to the UN Working Group on Arbitrary Detention, 68-year-old Jamshid Sharmeh was abducted in the summer of 2020 in the UAE and forcibly transferred to Iran. The Islamic Republic has stated that Mr. Sharmeh was arrested in a 'complex operation.' Jamshid Sharmeh, a dual-national Iranian-German citizen who is also a permanent resident of the United States, was sentenced to death on charges of 'corruption on earth' after a trial that the international community deems 'fabricated.' Ghazaleh Sharmeh: 'My father is one of thousands who have death sentences; I empathize with their families.' Ghazaleh Sharmeh speaks about the 'Cut the Rope' campaign in protest against the Islamic Republic's executions. The 'Campaign Against Executions in Iran'; activists on social media are calling for 'cutting this 45-year-old rope.' Masih Alinejad told VOA: 'The Islamic Republic's supportive arms in the West will be exposed.' The UN fact-finding committee has described discrimination against women in Iran as a violation of human rights and a crime against humanity. Statements from several professional organizations in Iran on the occasion of International Women's Day: Women have become pioneers of struggles. About 25 civil and political groups outside Iran have called for the release of female political prisoners.