German Foreign Minister Responds to Zarif's Statement: We Are Dealing with a Repressive Regime

The German Foreign Minister sharply criticized the Islamic Republic following reports regarding the execution of Jamshid Sharmad in Iran, stating that "the killing of Mr. Sharmad once again highlights the horrific cruelty of the repressive regime in Iran." Annalena Baerbock said on Thursday that this German-Iranian citizen, who resided in the United States, was "abducted" and taken to Iran, where he was "held for years without a fair trial." Referring to a recent statement by Abbas Araghchi, the Iranian Foreign Minister, who defended the execution of Jamshid Sharmad, she linked his killing to the Islamic Republic's "extortion" tactics, saying: "This regime primarily uses the language of extortion, threats, and violence. Even the recent remarks by the Iranian Foreign Minister, which framed the brutal killing of Jamshid Sharmad within the context of Germany's support for Israel, speaks volumes." In this statement, the German Foreign Minister mentioned her order to close three Iranian consulates in Frankfurt, Munich, and Hamburg, saying: "We have repeatedly made it clear to Tehran that the execution of a German citizen will have serious consequences." She added: "His (Sharmad's) killing by the Iranian regime underscores that this repressive regime continues to act with utmost cruelty, even after recent changes at its helm," referring to the rise of Masoud Pezeshkian as the new head of the Islamic Republic government. Annalena Baerbock emphasized that the German embassy in Tehran, her government officials in Berlin, and she herself have "unceasingly" worked for the release of Jamshid Sharmad. The German Foreign Minister stated that the Islamic Republic knew how important the issue of German prisoners was for the German government, and she had raised this issue in her discussions with the Iranian Foreign Minister in New York last month, which constituted a significant part of her negotiations with Araghchi. Baerbock said, "The fact that this killing occurred following recent developments in the Middle East indicates that a repressive dictatorship like the mullahs' regime does not operate within the framework of normal diplomatic logic." In another part of her statement, the German Foreign Minister said: "As the German Foreign Minister, I have established a fact-finding mission in the UN Human Rights Council to document crimes against the people of Iran, especially women, to achieve justice in the future." She also mentioned that she was "pressuring" in Brussels to add the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps to the list of terrorists. Annalena Baerbock referred to the difficulties in applying pressure on the Islamic Republic so that, according to her, the people of Iran would not suffer: "I emphasize that since we are dealing with a repressive regime, we always walk a very fine line. In taking any action, we must ask ourselves: how can we target the perpetrators within the regime and not the people of Iran?" The German Foreign Minister added that Jamshid Sharmad was not the only German prisoner held in Iran's "hostage policy" and that "this regime continues to unjustly detain other Germans," and Germany is obligated to assist them for their release. She stated that Masoud Pezeshkian's government "has repeatedly claimed that it wants to get closer to the 'so-called West.' Iran knows what specific steps are necessary for this." This strongly worded statement from the German Foreign Minister was issued just hours after the announcement of the closure of Iranian consulates in three German cities. The Iranian Foreign Ministry summoned the German chargé d'affaires in Tehran, calling Berlin's action "unjustifiable and unreasonable." The first interview with Jamshid Sharmad's daughter with Voice of America regarding her father's execution by the Islamic Republic, Ghazaleh Sharmad told Voice of America: "We will not rest, and if the news is true, we will hold all those responsible for my father's murder accountable." The United States welcomed Germany's protest against the execution of Jamshid Sharmad. The closure of all Iranian consular offices in Germany was in response to the execution of Sharmad. Amnesty International condemned the execution of Jamshid Sharmad by the Islamic Republic. Josep Borrell stated: "We condemn the 'murder' of Jamshid Sharmad in the strongest terms." Prince Reza Pahlavi reacted to the execution of Jamshid Sharmad: "We will not rest until justice is achieved." Following the execution of Jamshid Sharmad, Germany recalled its ambassador from Iran.