Iran says Jamshid Sharmahd masterminded a bombing that killed 14 folks, one thing his household denies.
Tehran, Iran – Iranian-German citizen Jamshid Sharmahd has been sentenced to demise by Iran’s judiciary on terrorism-related costs.
The 67-year-old, who additionally has United States residency and was arrested in 2020, was convicted of “corruption on Earth” for heading a pro-monarchist group accused of a lethal 2008 bombing and planning different assaults throughout the nation, Mizan, the official information company of the Iranian judiciary, reported on Tuesday.
Sharmahd is accused of being the chief of the US-based group Tondar (which suggests “thunder” in Farsi), also called the Kingdom Meeting of Iran, which says it seeks to revive the monarchy that was overthrown after the final shah fled Iran shortly earlier than the 1979 revolution.
The Los Angeles-based group runs radio and tv stations overseas that help Iranian opposition teams.
The Iranian judiciary launched a number of clips of Sharmahd talking in 2010 in opposition to the Iranian institution and in addition video of him showing to admit to assaults.
His essential cost is masterminding a 2008 bombing at a mosque within the southern metropolis of Shiraz, which killed 14 folks and wounded a whole bunch. He was additionally convicted of being in touch with US and Israeli officers and brokers.
Mizan mentioned he wrote confidential letters to former US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.
The judiciary mentioned Sharmahd wished to hold out 23 “terrorist acts” and succeeded in executing 5.
It mentioned they embrace different bombings, arson, assassinations and leaking categorized details about the missile programme of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps.
Tondar was additionally accused by the judiciary of plans to focus on an oil pipeline and a e-book honest along with deploying “chemical weapons” in parliament and organising heists from banks and foreign money exchanges.
The judiciary mentioned Sharmahd’s sentence could also be appealed to the Supreme Court docket.
It’s unclear how or the place Sharmahd was apprehended. His daughter, Gazelle Sharmahd, has beforehand mentioned he was final heard from in Dubai shortly earlier than showing in an Iranian state video exhibiting he was in custody.
Sharmah’s household hase maintained his innocence. His daughter was considered one of 4 relations of Europeans imprisoned in Iran who signed an open letter in September accusing the European Union of ignoring the plight of their family members.
Germany on Tuesday condemned the announcement.
“The demise sentence for Jamshid Sharmahd is totally unacceptable,” German Overseas Minister Annalena Baerbock mentioned in a press release, promising a “robust response” to the court docket’s resolution.
“Not solely is the demise penalty merciless, inhuman and degrading, however Jamshid Sharmahd has by no means had something approaching a good trial,” Baerbock mentioned.