Germany Rebukes Iran Over Execution of Sharmahd

Germany has expressed strong objections to Iran over the execution of Jamshid Sharmahd, a 69-year-old Iranian German national who had been living in California. Sharmahd, who was abducted by Iranian security forces in Dubai in 2020, was executed in Iran on terrorism charges Monday. The German Foreign Ministry strongly criticized the act, summoning Iran's charge d'affaires in Berlin and warning of potential "further measures." The German Ambassador to Iran, Markus Potzel, also communicated a stern protest to Iran's foreign minister before being recalled to Berlin for consultations.

Sharmahd's execution followed a 2023 trial dismissed by Germany, the US, and rights groups as a mockery of justice. Iran accused him of orchestrating a deadly 2008 mosque attack and sharing sensitive information about missile sites. His family denied these accusations and advocated for his release continuously. Sharmahd's abduction occurred in July 2020, while he attempted to travel to India amidst the pandemic. His phone data shows he crossed the borders from Dubai to Oman and then a port city there. The data stopped at that point, and two days later Iran said it had captured him in a "complex operation." Last year, Germany expelled two Iranian diplomats in reaction to Sharmahd's death sentence. (This story was generated by Newser's AI chatbot. Source: the AP)