Germany's Reaction to the Confirmation of Jamshid Sharmeh's Death Sentence by the Supreme Court and the Response from the Islamic Republic

Germany reacted to the confirmation of Jamshid Sharmeh's death sentence by the Supreme Court, calling it 'unacceptable.' Annalena Baerbock, the German Foreign Minister, questioned the judicial process of Sharmeh's case in a tweet, stating that he has not received a fair trial. She urged the Islamic Republic to immediately revoke the death sentence. The German Foreign Minister also announced that the country's ambassador to Iran, who was on a business trip, canceled his schedule upon receiving this news and is 'on his way back to Iran for discussions on this matter.' In response to these comments, Nasser Kanani, spokesperson for the Islamic Republic's Foreign Ministry, accused Germany of 'attempting to prevent the execution of justice' and stated, 'Iran will not seek permission from anyone in its fight against terrorism and in administering justice for terrorists.' Masoud Setayesh, spokesperson for the Islamic Republic's judiciary, announced on Wednesday, April 25, during a press conference with media that the Supreme Court confirmed Jamshid Sharmeh's death sentence. The daughter of this political opponent of the Islamic Republic stated in an interview with Voice of America on Wednesday, following the announcement of her father's death sentence confirmation, that 'there is no possibility of contacting my father, and we must follow the news for the latest developments.' This political opponent of the Islamic Republic was kidnapped by security forces from the UAE years ago and was tried in Iran by the Revolutionary Court of Tehran on charges of 'corruption on earth' and sentenced to death. Recently, Amnesty International wrote a letter to the head of the Islamic Republic's judiciary, urging him to immediately revoke the 'unjust conviction' of Jamshid Sharmeh and annul his death sentence. In its letter to Gholamhossein Mohseni Ejei, Amnesty International expressed concern over the risk of Jamshid Sharmeh's execution, stating that this dual-national prisoner was sentenced to death in 'a severely unjust trial' on charges of 'corruption on earth.' According to Amnesty International, Mr. Sharmeh has been tortured over the past three years and has been held in solitary confinement for an extended period. Amnesty International states that Jamshid Sharmeh has also been deprived of adequate healthcare and should be released. The judiciary news agency, Mizan, reported in early Esfand 1401 (February 2023) about the issuance of a death sentence for Jamshid Sharmeh, a political activist. The United States and some Western countries, including Germany, have strongly condemned the issuance of a death sentence for Jamshid Sharmeh. Jamshid Sharmeh, born in 1955, is an Iranian national with dual German citizenship and residency in the United States. He was kidnapped from the United Arab Emirates in 2019. The judicial process of this political activist opposing the Islamic Republic has been contested by legal experts from the very beginning. Jamshid Sharmeh's daughter recently stated in an interview with Voice of America: 'We have no contact with my father, and we do not know whether he is alive after the fire in Evin prison or not.' In recent weeks, official news agencies of the Islamic Republic have published reports about the holding of Sharmeh's court sessions. However, independent media observers were not present at the court sessions. Ghazaleh Sharmeh expressed concern about Germany's silence regarding her father's case. The German government raised its travel warning level for its citizens regarding travel to Iran. A campaign for several dual-national prisoners has been launched, stating, 'Let us show that we are united in having a common goal.'