Ghazaleh Sharmeh to American Legislators: Strive with All Your Might for the Freedom of My Father and Other Hostages

Ghazaleh Sharmeh, daughter of Jamshid Sharmeh, a dual Iranian-German citizen imprisoned in Iran and sentenced to death, called for intensified efforts for her father's release during remarks at the Foreign Relations Committee of the U.S. House of Representatives. The committee held this session on Tuesday, April 30, to hear the stories of families of American citizens imprisoned abroad. Ghazaleh Sharmeh stated, "Our family is deeply frustrated with U.S. State Department officials, especially Robert Malley, the former U.S. Special Envoy for Iran, who during his three years in office failed to address my father's dire situation." She added, "When the Islamic Republic displayed a kidnapped American on television blindfolded and forced him to confess, the U.S. did not react. When he was tortured daily, had his teeth broken, and was deprived of vital Parkinson's medication—so much so that my father could barely walk, speak, or breathe—and then was sentenced to death in what Amnesty International called a sham trial, the U.S. again did not respond." Ms. Sharmeh continued, "When Robert Malley and his colleagues were negotiating the release of several Americans last summer, they inexplicably excluded my father and others, and our family wants to know why an American hostage sentenced to death in Iran should be left defenseless." She pointed out that on March 10, the Islamic Republic once again condemned her father along with several American officials to pay $2.5 billion in a 60-day ultimatum, stating, "Otherwise, my father will be hanged in public by crane. But the U.S. still did not respond." Ms. Sharmeh emphasized that this approach not only reflects a "diplomatic failure" but also undermines American values. Ghazaleh Sharmeh, referring to her father's 1,350 days in solitary confinement as "unimaginable" for many, addressed the American lawmakers present at the session, saying, "I can only ask for your help. When we see no reaction to government agents who violate all international laws and human rights through kidnapping and wrongful detention, the consequences do not only affect my father and family; they impact everyone here and beyond." She urged lawmakers to do everything in their power to "bring my father and all others home." Jamshid Sharmeh, 68, was kidnapped 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 Iranian-German citizen who is also a permanent resident of the United States, was sentenced to death for "corruption on earth" after a trial that the international community deems "fabricated." Experts say that the Islamic Republic uses false charges to detain foreign citizens, especially dual nationals, to use them as political bargaining chips, effectively taking these citizens hostage. The five-year prison sentence of Saeed Azizi, a dual Iranian-Swedish citizen, was upheld in the appeals court. The Sharmeh family's response to the Islamic Republic's claim for $2.5 billion in damages: another attempt at "leverage." Exclusive; Ted Cruz, Republican senator, described the Iranian government's treatment of Jamshid Sharmeh as "brazen and barbaric." The U.S. response to the $2.5 billion claim against Jamshid Sharmeh: we support the right to free speech for Iranians.