German-Iranian Jamshid Sharmahd continues to face execution threats in the Islamic Republic – the Iranian judiciary has only recently confirmed his death sentence. But his family and his lawyer Jason Poblete have not given up hope: Poblete has now called on Germany and the US to join forces to prevent the sentence from being carried out.
“As long as he lives, there is always a chance,” the US lawyer told the news magazine “Spiegel”. He demanded that politics focus as much on human rights as on deals on nuclear programs, oil and gas. Moreover, governments should stop selling machines and medicines to Iran as long as people like Sharmahd are illegally imprisoned there. “There is a death sentence on the table,” Poblete said of the urgency of the request.
“The Iranians know that, they smell weakness”
“But the problem is that there is nowhere the political will and the backbone to really stand up to Iran. No one is ready to stand up and say: enough!” said the lawyer. “And the Iranians know that, they smell weakness.” The Sharmahd case has an international dimension. It is getting attention in Washington, Berlin and at international authorities.
This is one of the reasons why lawyers regularly advise families of relatives illegally detained or held hostage in Iran to come forward. “Silence is almost a certain death sentence,” Poblete told Der Spiegel.
The lawyer said of his work in the Sharmahd case, “It’s like walking through the fog without a flashlight and it takes a lot of patience.” Many people from many areas are involved. They are constantly trying to find ways to liberate the German-Iranian.
The US does not publicly support Sharmahd
Poblete shows no understanding that the US government is not publicly committed to Sharmahd. “There was probably an assessment that it would be better if Germany negotiated the matter publicly, because the Federal Republic has better relations with Iran than we do,” the lawyer said. “Another reason is that he is not a full American citizen. That doesn’t matter in my opinion.”
Sharmahd was born in Iran, came to Germany as a child and holds a German passport. In the US he was involved with the exile opposition group “Tondar” (Thunder), which advocates a return to the monarchy. He lived in California for about 20 years. There he was the target of an assassination attempt by Iran in 2009, his lawyer now reports. Sharmahd was almost killed.
“High time”
“He was able to stay from now on because the US government understood that we have a special obligation to people like him,” the lawyer said. “That is why it is high time that she started to get involved in this matter much more publicly, because together Germany and the US would be able to impress the Iranian regime much more, which would mean the case of Jamshid Sharmahd, but also all the other hostages, you could steer them in another direction and bring them home.”
Iran’s Supreme Court upheld the controversial death sentence against Jamshid Sharmahd in late April. Formally there is nothing in the way of enforcement. A revolutionary court held the 68-year-old responsible for a terrorist attack in February. Relatives and human rights activists called the allegations baseless and criticized the procedure as grossly unfair. In this context you speak of mock trials that are intended to intimidate opponents of the regime. Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock had asked Tehran to reverse the “absolutely unacceptable” and arbitrary judgment against Sharmahd.
“Hanging from a crane in public”
Sharmahd’s daughter, Gazelle Sharmahd, told Welt-TV last week that her family did not know where her father was or how he was doing. “All we know is that he was tortured in isolation and solitary confinement for more than 1,000 days.” The regime wanted to “hang him from a crane in public”. The family had been told this repeatedly for two and a half years.
On the harsh condemnation of Iran, including by Baerbock, Gazelle Sharmahd said: “It doesn’t work, you might as well talk to my plant here.” The regime in Tehran only understands the pressure: “They don’t understand any other language. It’s like IS, like Al Qaeda.”
Jamshid Sharmahd was allegedly arrested by the Iranian secret service in Dubai in the summer of 2020 and taken to Iran. He has been imprisoned in Tehran ever since. “He is mentally very strong, I know that from his family, friends and colleagues,” his lawyer told the Spiegel. “He’s someone who can get through this despite being treated barbarically.” Sharmahd knows that he has not done what he is accused of, but cannot defend himself against it. “Everything will hit him, but he will remain steadfast,” said Poblete. (t-online, lw)
Soource :Watson
I am Amelia James, a passionate journalist with a deep-rooted interest in current affairs. I have more than five years of experience in the media industry, working both as an author and editor for 24 Instant News. My main focus lies in international news, particularly regional conflicts and political issues around the world.
