Germany should act instantly to forestall the hanging of a nationwide detained in Iran who dangers the dying penalty on prices vehemently denied by his supporters, his household and activists mentioned on Monday.
Anti-regime activist Jamshid Sharmahd, 66, appeared in courtroom in Tehran earlier this month charged with “spreading corruption on earth” over accusations of involvement in a bombing at a mosque in 2008.
If convicted on this cost, which campaigners say is usually used in opposition to opponents of the federal government, he might face execution.
“It’s of the utmost significance that the German federal authorities act instantly to forestall the deliberate state assassination of Mr Sharmahd,” his daughter Gazelle and greater than two dozen different activists mentioned in an open letter to German Overseas Minister Annalena Baerbock.
“We urge you to take instant, critical and sustained motion to save lots of the lifetime of the 66-year-old German citizen and his household from this horrific act,” mentioned the signatories, who included former detainees in Iran and relations of these nonetheless held.
Sharmahd’s household say that he was kidnapped by the Iranian safety providers in 2020 whereas in transit in Dubai after which introduced below duress to Iran.
He’s affiliated with an anti-regime group generally known as Kingdom Meeting of Iran and had been primarily based in the US.
The household fears he dangers the same destiny to France-based Ruhollah Zam, who was executed in December 2020 after leaving Paris in October 2020 for Iraq, the place supporters say he was detained by Iran.
The letter mentioned the household was “very involved” for the well being of Sharmahd, who was now “severely emaciated”.
It famous that his trial is presided over by Abolqasem Salavati, the identical choose who had sentenced Zam to dying.
“We urge that the matter be given high precedence, {that a} disaster administration workforce be arrange, and that the German authorities exhaust all political and diplomatic avenues to place stress on the Islamic Republic of Iran,” mentioned the letter.
“A normal condemnation of the dying penalty and a name to respect human rights are usually not sufficient.”
Sharmahd is one among over a dozen Western nationals — together with American, Austrian, British, French and German residents — nonetheless held in Iran as talks to revive the 2015 deal over Tehran’s nuclear drive attain an acute part.
Iran accuses Sharmahd of being concerned within the April 12, 2008, bombing of a mosque in Shiraz in southern Iran, which killed 14 individuals.
