Iran Claims Death of Iranian-German Dual National Before Execution, Sparking Skepticism and International Outcry

 

Iran has reported that Jamshid Sharmahd, an Iranian-German dual national sentenced to death, died last week before his execution could be carried out. According to judiciary spokesman Asghar Jahangir, Sharmahd “died before it could be carried out,” with officials in Tehran suggesting he suffered a stroke. When announcing his death on October 28, Iranian authorities did not clarify the cause, only stating his sentence was final and that he had been “punished.”

The ambiguous circumstances surrounding Sharmahd’s death have led to widespread skepticism, with questions raised about potential miscommunication or intentions behind Iran’s explanation. German Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock responded to the incident by closing three Iranian consulates in Germany and recalling Germany’s ambassador in Tehran for consultations.

Sharmahd’s daughter, Gazelle, who resides in the U.S., has demanded clear evidence regarding her father’s death, calling for the body to be returned to the family. She has expressed doubts over the official account, suggesting that the announcement timing, coming in the evening rather than at dawn when executions are typically conducted in Iran, raises questions. On social media, she shared, “We do not accept condolences until we have received evidence by the German and American authorities of the reported murder of my father and the exact circumstances.”

Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi defended Iran’s handling of Sharmahd, stating, “No terrorist enjoys impunity in Iran. Even if supported by Germany.” President Masoud Pezeshkian also defended Iran’s actions, indirectly referencing the conflict in Gaza, questioning why Iran faces criticism for executions while “there is silence when women and children are killed, and their water and bread blocked.”

Sharmahd was sentenced to death in February 2023 for “corruption on Earth” in connection to a 2008 attack that left 14 people dead, a charge his family has consistently denied. Abram Paley, the U.S. Deputy Special Envoy for Iran, condemned the execution, calling it “the latest heinous act in the long history of transnational repression by the Iranian regime.” Paley also criticized the trial and Sharmahd’s alleged mistreatment, asserting, “Sharmahd should not have been jailed in the first place.”

Meanwhile, Iranian state media reported that a female university student was admitted to an unnamed psychiatric hospital after she removed her clothes in central Tehran on November 2. Amnesty International described the incident as “very alarming,” linking it to Iran’s history of equating defiance of compulsory veiling laws with mental illness. Some reports suggest the woman’s actions were a form of protest against the harsh enforcement of veiling at Tehran’s Islamic Azad University.

Azar Mansouri, head of the Iran Reform Front, voiced concern over the incident, calling for more lenient social policies and describing the situation as a troubling reflection on the state of individual rights in the country.