Iranian-German Sharmahd Died before His Execution, Iran Judiciary Says

In this file photo taken on July 31, 2023 a demonstrator holds a picture of Iranian-German Jamshid Sharmahd, who has been sentenced to death in Iran, during a demonstration for his release in front of the German Foreign Ministry in Berlin. (AFP)
In this file photo taken on July 31, 2023 a demonstrator holds a picture of Iranian-German Jamshid Sharmahd, who has been sentenced to death in Iran, during a demonstration for his release in front of the German Foreign Ministry in Berlin. (AFP)
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Iranian-German Sharmahd Died before His Execution, Iran Judiciary Says

In this file photo taken on July 31, 2023 a demonstrator holds a picture of Iranian-German Jamshid Sharmahd, who has been sentenced to death in Iran, during a demonstration for his release in front of the German Foreign Ministry in Berlin. (AFP)
In this file photo taken on July 31, 2023 a demonstrator holds a picture of Iranian-German Jamshid Sharmahd, who has been sentenced to death in Iran, during a demonstration for his release in front of the German Foreign Ministry in Berlin. (AFP)

Iranian-German national Jamshid Sharmahd died before his execution, which was announced by Tehran late last month, Iran's judiciary said on Tuesday, according to state media.

State media initially reported the execution of Sharmahd on Oct. 28, following his sentencing to death by Iran's judiciary in 2023 for carrying out "terrorist attacks".

"Jamshid Sharmahd died before the execution of his death sentence," judiciary spokesperson Asghar Jahangir said, without providing additional information.

His daughter Gazelle Sharmahd, on X, had demanded proof of his execution and called for the immediate return of her father.

Sharmahd's death exacerbated a diplomatic rift between Tehran and Berlin, with the German authorities closing Iranian consulates across Germany.

Iranian authorities said Sharmahd had headed a pro-monarchist group accused of a deadly 2008 bombing and planning other attacks in the country.

German Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock accused Iran of playing politics with hostages and of trying to use Germany's support for Israel in the widening Middle East conflict to justify Sharmahd's killing.



Iran Sentences 3 to Death over Nuclear Scientist Killing

Fakhrizadeh was killed when his car was ambushed on a highway outside the capital in November 2020. (Reuters)
Fakhrizadeh was killed when his car was ambushed on a highway outside the capital in November 2020. (Reuters)
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Iran Sentences 3 to Death over Nuclear Scientist Killing

Fakhrizadeh was killed when his car was ambushed on a highway outside the capital in November 2020. (Reuters)
Fakhrizadeh was killed when his car was ambushed on a highway outside the capital in November 2020. (Reuters)

Iran has sentenced three people to death over the 2020 assassination of one of the country's top nuclear scientists, Mohsen Fakhrizadeh, the judiciary said on Tuesday.

"The judicial processes of these three people were carried out in the Revolutionary Court of Urmia, and they were sentenced to death in the initial stage, and the case is currently in the appeal stage," judiciary spokesman Asghar Jahangir told a Tehran press conference.

Fakhrizadeh was killed when his car was ambushed on a highway outside the capital in November 2020, in an attack Iran blamed on its sworn enemy Israel.

"After some investigations, three people out of eight arrested in West Azarbaijan province, were accused of committing espionage for the occupying regime of Israel," Jahangir said.

He added that the three are also "accused of transporting equipment into Iran for the assassination of martyr Fakhrizadeh under the guise of smuggling alcoholic beverages".

In December 2022, then judiciary spokesman Massoud Setayeshi said nine people had been charged with the capital offence of "corruption on earth" for their suspected collusion with Israel in the assassination.

Fakhrizadeh had been under US sanctions for his role in Iran's nuclear program when he was killed.

Iranian authorities said the attackers used a bomb and a remote-controlled machine gun.

Israel has never commented on the killing.

In 2018, the Israeli government accused Fakhrizadeh of leading Iran's efforts to develop an atomic bomb, a claim Iran has always vehemently denied.