US Response to Iran's $2.5 Billion Damage Claim Against Jamshid Sharmad: We Support the Freedom of Expression of Iranians

On Monday, the United States reacted to the Islamic Republic's $2.5 billion damage claim against the Tondar group, the Iranian Monarchist Association, Jamshid Sharmad, and the US government, stating that it will continue to support the right to freedom of expression for the people of Iran. Given that the Tondar group is an opposition group to the Islamic Republic in Iran, Matthew Miller, spokesperson for the US State Department, 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. He did not mention the Tondar group. Since the judiciary of the Islamic Republic has attributed the bombing on April 12, 2008, in Shiraz to the Tondar group and the US government, Matthew Miller emphasized in his daily press conference that the United States does not endorse resorting to violent actions. It is unclear what goal the Islamic Republic has in issuing financial judgments, as neither the Islamic Republic nor the plaintiffs have the ability to collect. The US State Department spokesperson stated that the US 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 question from VOA Persian about the possibility of canceling Mr. Sharmad's death sentence in light of this new ruling that cases like this dual-national citizen's sentence are treated as criminal penalties independent of private lawsuits, and therefore today's ruling should not be considered as a cancellation of the death penalty. The media center of the judiciary of the Islamic Republic of Iran announced that the 55th branch of the Tehran International Claims Court has ordered the Tondar group, the Iranian Monarchist Association, Jamshid Sharmad, and the US government to pay damages totaling $2.5 billion. According to this report, the judiciary of the Islamic Republic claims that this ruling was issued in response to the 'claims of the victims of the bombing in the Shiraz Hosseiniyeh in 2008.' The damage claim against the Tondar group, the Iranian Monarchist Association, its imprisoned director Jamshid Sharmad, and the US government was announced weeks after the launch of the 'Cut the Rope' campaign by Ghazaleh Sharmad, Jamshid Sharmad's daughter. Ghazaleh Sharmad previously stated in an interview with VOA Persian that Iran is facing a wave of executions, saying, '834 people were executed last year. This year, over 50 people were executed in January. We want to draw the world's attention to the executions in Iran with this campaign.' She also mentioned the simultaneous rallies in support of this campaign in many countries around the world, including the US, Canada, Australia, and European countries. Ghazaleh Sharmad in another interview with VOA stated that the day the campaign was launched coincided with the day Jamshid Sharmad was sentenced to death. According to a UN working group on arbitrary detention, 68-year-old Jamshid Sharmad was kidnapped in the summer of 2020 in the UAE and forcibly transferred to Iran. The Islamic Republic has stated that Mr. Sharmad was arrested in a 'complex operation.' Jamshid Sharmad, a dual-national Iranian-German citizen who also has permanent residency in the United States, was sentenced to death on charges of 'corruption on earth' after a trial that the international community deems 'fabricated.' Ghazaleh Sharmad previously stated that her father suffers from Parkinson's disease and may lose his life due to the deterioration of his condition. She also said, 'His teeth have been broken under torture or due to malnutrition [and] he cannot properly pronounce words or chew or eat.' Ghazaleh Sharmad also mentioned that her father has spent 'over 1185 days' in complete solitary confinement. Vedant Patel, Deputy Spokesperson for the US State Department, previously stated on August 14 that 'the regime's treatment of Mr. Sharmad has been shameful. He has been sentenced to death after a legal process that has been heavily criticized as a sham trial. We strongly condemn this kind of behavior.' Ghazaleh Sharmad: 'My father is one of thousands who have death sentences; I empathize with their families.' Ghazaleh Sharmad speaks about the 'Cut the Rope' campaign in protest against the executions of the Islamic Republic. 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 deemed discrimination against women in Iran 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 the struggles. About 25 civil and political groups outside Iran have called for the release of female political prisoners.