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.



Small Plane Crashes into Brazil Tourist City, Killing at Least 10

A general view shows the site of a plane crash in the center of Gramado, Rio Grande do Sul state, Brazil December 22, 2024. REUTERS/Edson Vara
A general view shows the site of a plane crash in the center of Gramado, Rio Grande do Sul state, Brazil December 22, 2024. REUTERS/Edson Vara
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Small Plane Crashes into Brazil Tourist City, Killing at Least 10

A general view shows the site of a plane crash in the center of Gramado, Rio Grande do Sul state, Brazil December 22, 2024. REUTERS/Edson Vara
A general view shows the site of a plane crash in the center of Gramado, Rio Grande do Sul state, Brazil December 22, 2024. REUTERS/Edson Vara

A small plane carrying 10 people crashed into shops in the center of the tourist city of Gramado in southern Brazil on Sunday, killing everyone on board, state government officials said.
The aircraft's owner and pilot, Luiz Claudio Galeazzi, died along with the other nine passengers, all of whom were members of his family, according to Rio Grande do Sul Governor Eduardo Leite.
In addition, 17 people on the ground were injured, Leite said at a press conference, with 12 still receiving hospital care, including two in critical condition, Reuters reported.
Manufactured in 1990, the twin-engine Piper PA-42-1000 took off shortly after 9 am local time from nearby Canela airport and was heading to Jundiai in Sao Paulo state under unfavorable weather conditions, the governor said.
He noted that the cause of the crash is being investigated by the Aeronautical Accident Investigation and Prevention Center (Cenipa).
The plane reportedly first struck the chimney of a building then the second floor of a house before crashing into a furniture store, authorities said. Debris also reached a nearby inn.
Nestled in a mountainous region, Gramado is the most popular tourist destination in Rio Grande do Sul, which was severely impacted earlier this year by unprecedented floods that claimed dozens of lives, destroyed infrastructure and significantly disrupted the state's economy.