Daughter of Iranian-German Sentenced to Death Urges Berlin to Pressure Tehran

Jamshid Sharmahd shows his German passport on screen during the trial in February 2022. (AFP)
Jamshid Sharmahd shows his German passport on screen during the trial in February 2022. (AFP)
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Daughter of Iranian-German Sentenced to Death Urges Berlin to Pressure Tehran

Jamshid Sharmahd shows his German passport on screen during the trial in February 2022. (AFP)
Jamshid Sharmahd shows his German passport on screen during the trial in February 2022. (AFP)

The daughter of Iranian-German dual national Jamshid Sharmahd, who is sentenced to death, has urged the German government to exert more efforts to rescue her father.

Gazelle Sharmahd urged the German government to pressure the Iranian authorities or else Tehran would be convinced that “we don’t have a red line”.

She added that until now there is no serious response from the government that would interest the leadership in Iran or make it refrain from executing Jamshid.

Gazelle told Deutschlandfunk on Tuesday that “Berlin remained ineffective in her father’s case for a long time”.

Berlin should have acted two and a half years ago when her father was abducted and now “it is too late”, according to Gazelle.

She added that German Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock is exerting more efforts compared to her predecessor but “unfortunately, words aren't enough”.

Iran's Supreme Court has upheld the death sentence of Sharmahd.

The Tehran Revolutionary Court in February sentenced Sharmahd, 67, to death after being held responsible for involvement in a “terrorist” attack and accused of cooperating with foreign intelligence agencies.

These allegations can't be confirmed.

Iran usually executes the death sentence by hanging.

Baerbock said the decision was “unacceptable” and called on Iran “to reverse this arbitrary sentence immediately”.

Sharmahd also has a US residency.

Sharmahd's arrest was announced in 2020 through an Intelligence Ministry statement that described him as “the ringleader of the terrorist Tondar group, who directed armed and terrorist acts in Iran from America,” according to Reuters.



Zelenskiy Says Ukraine's Membership of NATO is 'Achievable'

Ukraine's President Volodymyr Zelenskiy speaks as he attends a European Union leaders summit in Brussels, Belgium, December 19, 2024. REUTERS/Johanna Geron
Ukraine's President Volodymyr Zelenskiy speaks as he attends a European Union leaders summit in Brussels, Belgium, December 19, 2024. REUTERS/Johanna Geron
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Zelenskiy Says Ukraine's Membership of NATO is 'Achievable'

Ukraine's President Volodymyr Zelenskiy speaks as he attends a European Union leaders summit in Brussels, Belgium, December 19, 2024. REUTERS/Johanna Geron
Ukraine's President Volodymyr Zelenskiy speaks as he attends a European Union leaders summit in Brussels, Belgium, December 19, 2024. REUTERS/Johanna Geron

Ukraine's membership of NATO is "achievable", but Kyiv will have to fight to persuade allies to make it happen, President Volodymyr Zelenskiy told Ukrainian diplomats in a speech on Sunday.
Ukraine has repeatedly urged NATO to invite Kyiv to become a member. The Western military alliance has said Ukraine will join its ranks one day but has not set a date or issued an invitation.
Moscow has cited the prospect of Ukraine joining NATO as one of the principal justifications for its 2022 invasion. Kyiv says membership in the Western alliance's mutual defense pact, or an equivalent form of security guarantee, would be crucial to any peace plan to ensure that Russia does not attack again.
"We all understand that Ukraine's invitation to NATO and membership in the alliance can only be a political decision," Zelenskiy told diplomats at a gathering in Kyiv. "Alliance for Ukraine is achievable, but it is achievable only if we fight for this decision at all the necessary levels."
Zelenskiy said allies needed to know what Ukraine can bring to NATO and how its membership in the alliance would stabilize global relations, Reuters reported.
Last week, Zelenskiy urged European countries to provide guarantees to protect Ukraine after the war with Russia ends and said Ukraine would ultimately need more protection through membership of the alliance.