Iran executed Jamshid Sharmahd, a 69-year-old Iranian-born dissident with German citizenship, on Monday, as announced by the country's judiciary. Sharmahd, who lived in the U.S., was reportedly abducted by Iranian agents in Dubai four years ago. He faced charges of orchestrating a terrorist bombing in Iran in 2008, which both he and his family vehemently denied.
The trial against Sharmahd drew fierce condemnation from human rights organizations and Western governments, which labeled it a deceptive process. While residing in California, he operated a website for the Kingdom Assembly of Iran, a group also known as Tondar, which seeks to overthrow Iran's government and restore the monarchy. The group has claimed responsibility for several attacks in Iran.
Sharmahd's family stated that he was taken by Iranian operatives in 2020 during a visit to Dubai, although Iranian authorities claimed he was apprehended in a complex operation, without disclosing further details. In a related incident from a decade earlier, a man described as an Iranian agent pleaded guilty in the U.S. to attempts to hire someone to kill Sharmahd but managed to escape before sentencing.
Sharmahd's execution is particularly significant due to its rarity; Iran has not frequently executed dual citizens but had last year executed two others. This incident reinforces growing international concerns regarding Iran's treatment of dissenters and its legal proceedings against individuals with foreign citizenship.
The trial against Sharmahd drew fierce condemnation from human rights organizations and Western governments, which labeled it a deceptive process. While residing in California, he operated a website for the Kingdom Assembly of Iran, a group also known as Tondar, which seeks to overthrow Iran's government and restore the monarchy. The group has claimed responsibility for several attacks in Iran.
Sharmahd's family stated that he was taken by Iranian operatives in 2020 during a visit to Dubai, although Iranian authorities claimed he was apprehended in a complex operation, without disclosing further details. In a related incident from a decade earlier, a man described as an Iranian agent pleaded guilty in the U.S. to attempts to hire someone to kill Sharmahd but managed to escape before sentencing.
Sharmahd's execution is particularly significant due to its rarity; Iran has not frequently executed dual citizens but had last year executed two others. This incident reinforces growing international concerns regarding Iran's treatment of dissenters and its legal proceedings against individuals with foreign citizenship.
