Reactions of Political and Civil Figures in Europe to the Confirmation of Jamshid Sharmad's Death Sentence in Iran

Following the confirmation of Jamshid Sharmad's death sentence by the Supreme Court of the Islamic Republic, many political figures and civil rights activists in Germany and Europe reacted on Friday, May 12, by participating in a simultaneous Twitter storm, calling for a serious stance from the German federal government regarding this dual-national prisoner. Norbert Röttgen, a representative of the Christian Democratic Union of Germany, who had previously criticized the federal government's silence on executions in Iran, posted a picture of Jamshid Sharmad and wrote: 'The clerics have no qualms about killing foreign nationals.' Röttgen referred to the execution of Habib Asiyud, an Iranian-Swedish citizen, stating: 'The federal government must do everything in its power to save Jamshid Sharmad from the same fate.' Daniel Eikhani-Pour, a representative from Hamburg, also deemed the threat of Jamshid Sharmad's execution serious, stating: 'The federal government's silent diplomacy is ineffective. This issue is clear with the issuance of the death sentence and its reaffirmation.' Narges Eskandari-Gronberg, the Iranian-born mayor of Frankfurt, also reacted with a tweet, calling Sharmad's trial a 'show' and condemning the ruling, saying: 'Germany must not remain silent and watch this ruling.' Amnesty International in Germany also urged the German Foreign Minister and Chancellor to 'increase political pressure for the release of Jamshid Sharmad.' Supportive tweets on Friday were mostly directed at Olaf Scholz, the Chancellor of Germany, and Annalena Baerbock, the Foreign Minister. The spokesperson for the judiciary of the Islamic Republic announced on Wednesday morning, April 25, in a press conference that the Supreme Court had confirmed Jamshid Sharmad's death sentence. This political opponent of the Islamic Republic was kidnapped by security forces from the UAE several 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 had written to the head of the judiciary of the Islamic Republic, asking him to immediately order the cancellation of Sharmad's 'unjust conviction' and to revoke his death sentence. In its letter to Gholamhossein Mohseni Eje'i, Amnesty expressed concern over the risk of Jamshid Sharmad'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. Sharmad has been tortured over the past three years and has been held in solitary confinement for a long time. Amnesty states that Jamshid Sharmad has also been deprived of adequate health care and must be released. The judiciary news agency, Mizan, reported in early February 2023 that a death sentence had been issued for Jamshid Sharmad, a political activist. The United States and some Western countries, including Germany, have strongly condemned the issuance of the death sentence for Jamshid Sharmad. Jamshid Sharmad, born in 1955, is an Iranian citizen with dual German nationality and residency in the United States. He was kidnapped in 2020 from a third country, believed to be the United Arab Emirates. The judicial process of this political activist's case has been protested by lawyers from the beginning. Jamshid Sharmad's daughter recently told Voice of America: 'We have no contact with my father and do not know if he is alive after the fire in Evin prison.' In recent weeks, official news agencies of the Islamic Republic have published reports about the holding of Sharmad's court sessions. However, independent media observers were not present at the court sessions. Political and civil figures in Germany called on the government to respond to the death sentence against Sharmad in a Twitter campaign. Jamshid Sharmad, the kidnapped political activist sentenced to death, according to one of his acquaintances, Ghazaleh Sharmad: 'There is no way to contact my father, and we must follow the news for the latest events.' Ghazaleh Sharmad's European trip aims to help save her father from the death sentence in Iran. France and Ireland confirmed the release of two of their imprisoned citizens in Iran. The Islamic Republic announced the release of a French-Irish citizen from prison in Mashhad. German prosecutors charged an Iranian-German with attempting to set fire to a synagogue. The Supreme Court confirmed the death sentence of three protesters; the judiciary of the Islamic Republic defended the execution of Asiyud. The Islamic Republic executed two prisoners on charges of 'insulting the Prophet.' The European Union condemned Habib Asiyud's execution 'in the strongest terms.' Reactions to Habib Asiyud's execution: Iran Human Rights Organization: 'Extrajudicial killing' and 'terrorist act.' Habib Asiyud, an Iranian-Swedish citizen, was executed. Robert Menendez: Dictators 'from Tehran to Moscow' unjustly detain American citizens. Germany's reaction to the confirmation of Jamshid Sharmad's death sentence in the Supreme Court and the response of the Islamic Republic. Iran Human Rights Organization warned about the imminent execution of Jamshid Sharmad. Amnesty International expressed concern over the risk of Jamshid Sharmad's execution and called for his release. The Supreme Court confirmed Jamshid Sharmad's death sentence. The Revolutionary Court of Ahvaz sentenced six individuals to death for membership in 'Harakat al-Nidal.' The United States strongly condemned the issuance of Jamshid Sharmad's death sentence.