Jamshid Sharmahd

Jamshid Sharmahd (Persian: جمشید شارمهد; born 23 March 1955) is an German-Iranian journalist and software engineer of Iranian descent. He was born in Tehran and moved with his family to West Germany when he was seven years old. He has been a German citizen since 1995. He is a US national residing in California, USA.[1]

Jamshid Sharmahd
جمشید شارمهد
Sharmahd in 2019
Born (1955-03-23) 23 March 1955
Tehran, Tehran Province, Imperial State of Iran
Citizenship
  • Iran
  • Germany
EducationSoftware engineering, Information technology
Occupations
  • Journalist
  • software engineer
Known for
  • Creator of universal code editor Unipad
  • Iranian dissident and regime critic
  • Creator of website tondar.org
Notable workUnipad

Sharmahd established his own software company and in 2003 moved to the United States, where he is a legal resident.[2] In late July 2020, the Ministry of Intelligence of the Islamic Republic of Iran kidnapped Sharmahd in Dubai and he was taken to Iran.[3] Prior to his kidnapping, Sharmahd ran a satellite radio station that offered people a space to voice their views on authorities.[4] The Iranian government alleges that Sharmahd is responsible for a 2008 attack on a mosque in Shiraz that killed 14 people and injured 200. However, the regime-controlled media outlet Fars News quoted the Iranian National Security Council in 2008 as saying, "The explosion of a bomb or any explosion carried out by opposition elements, be they internal or foreign, is ruled out. The blast was caused by some munitions used in an exhibition for the Iran-Iraq War martyrs in the mosque."[5] Sharmahd denies all charges.[6] His family also deny all accusations.[7][8] His abduction is one of a series of kidnappings carried out by the government of Iran.[9][10][11]

Biography

Jamshid Sharmahd was born in Tehran in 1955, and moved with his father to Hanover, West Germany, where he grew up in a German-Iranian household.[12] He studied to become an electrician, and in 1980 briefly returned to Iran where he got married. In 1982, he returned to West Germany with his wife and daughter Gazelle Sharmahd. He has been living in California since 2003.[13]

In 2007, a "massive cyber attack" exposed his contributions to the website Tondar.org publicly.[14][15] This led to targeted harassment and assassination attempts against him by the Iranian government.[16]

In 2009, agents of the Islamic regime of Iran attempted an assassination of Sharmahd in Glendora, California, which was foiled by US officials. This information was made public by the US diplomatic cable WikiLeaks.[17]

In July 2020, the Iranian regime kidnapped him during a stopover in Dubai, and took him to Iran where he has been held ever since.[13] He has been repeatedly denied consular access from the German government, or access to the trials.[18] In February 2023, Sharmahd was sentenced to death by a Revolutionary Court in Teheran under charges of "corruption on Earth" following a grossly unfair trial, as described by Amnesty International.[19][20] The following day, Germany expelled two Iranian diplomats as a reaction to the sentence.[21]

International response

In 2022, Working Group on Arbitrary Detention (WGAD) released a 13-page document, confirming Mr Sharmahd's kidnapping, forced disappearance, human rights violations, and torture.[22]

January 2023, Friedrich Merz, the chairman of the CDU/CSU parliamentary group, takes over the political sponsorship for Mr. Sharmahd.[23] Mr. Merz attempted to travel to Iran to verify the health of Jamshid Sharmahd, however, Iranian authorities denied him a Visa. Mr. Merz repeatedly demands the unconditional release of Mr. Sharmahd and "expects the German government to significantly step up its efforts to release Jamshid Sharmahd."[24]

In April 2023, the European council publicly condemned the death sentence of Mr Sharmahd.[25]

See also

References
  1. Kmiotek, Celeste (17 August 2023). "The Levinson Act means all Americans must return home—not just citizens". AtlanticCouncil.
  2. Steinmetz, Juergen T. (4 August 2020). "German Citizen from Glendora, California abducted by Iran Ministry in Dubai". eTurboNews.
  3. Halpern, Sam. "Kidnapped German-Iranian journalist Jamshid Sharmahd to be executed". Jerusalem Post. Retrieved 22 February 2023.
  4. O'Callaghan, Laura (18 January 2023). "Fears for German man on death row in Iran as his US family say 'Biden is failing us'". The National News.
  5. Weinthal, Benjamin (19 July 2022). "California man faces execution in Iran for being a journalist". Fox News.
  6. OstanWire (26 July 2022). "Abducted Californian Jamshid Sharmahd Denies Charges in Final Court Hearing in Iran".
  7. Vahdat, Amir; Gambrell, Jon (2 August 2020). "Iran says it detains leader of California-based exile group". Associated Press.
  8. Gambrell, Jon (4 August 2020). "Family tells AP: Iran abducted California man while in Dubai". Associated Press.
  9. Borger, Julian (14 July 2021). "Iran 'spies' charged in plot to kidnap US journalist and speed her to Venezuela". The Guardian. Retrieved 26 February 2022.
  10. "Why Iran abducted and hanged Ruhollah Zam". The Economist. 16 December 2020. ISSN 0013-0613. Retrieved 26 February 2022.
  11. Azizi, Arash (12 January 2021). "Opinion | Why Is Iran Kidnapping and Executing Dissidents?". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved 26 February 2022.
  12. "Jamshid Sharmahd ist Opfer eines manipulativen Schauprozesses" [Jamshid Sharmahd is the victim of a manipulative show trial]. International Society for Human Rights (in German). 24 February 2022. Retrieved 26 February 2022.
  13. Weinthal, Benjamin (25 July 2022). "'Death sentence certain' for German-Iranian journalist". Jerusalem Post. Retrieved 25 July 2022.
  14. O'Callaghan, Laura (18 January 2023). "Fears for German man on death row in Iran as his US family say 'Biden is failing us'". The National News. Retrieved 1 July 2023.
  15. Somerville, Hannah (19 November 2021). "One Year After Abduction, Jamshid Sharmahd's Family Vows to Fight On". IranWire | خانه. Retrieved 26 February 2022.
  16. Audi, Tamara (10 May 2010). "U.S.-Iran Feud Hits L.A." Wall Street Journal. ISSN 0099-9660. Retrieved 26 February 2022.
  17. "Wikileaks unveils assassination attempt by Islamic Republic of Iran". CNN. 21 February 2011.
  18. Gritten, David (22 February 2023). "Germany expels 2 Iranian diplomats over death sentence". Associated Press News. Retrieved 22 February 2023.
  19. Gritten, David (21 February 2022). "Iran sentences German-Iranian dissident to death". BBC News. Retrieved 23 March 2023.
  20. International, Amnesty (3 April 2023). "Tortured German-Iranian sentenced to death: Jamshid Sharmahd". Amnesty International. Retrieved 3 April 2023.
  21. "Germany Expels Iranian Diplomats in Response to Death Sentence for German Citizen". Voice of America News. 22 February 2023. Retrieved 23 February 2023.
  22. "Opinions adopted by the Working Group on Arbitrary Detention at its ninety-third session 30 March–8 April 2022" (PDF). Working Group on Arbitrary Detention. 31 August 2022.
  23. "Friedrich Merz übernimmt politische Patenschaft für den inhaftierten Deutsch-Iraner Jamshid Sharmahd". CDU/CSU. 9 January 2023.
  24. "Friedrich Merz fordert Freilassung von Jamshid Sharmahd aus iranischer Haft". RND. 18 July 2023.
  25. "Iran: Statement by the High Representative on behalf of the EU on the confirmation of the death sentence against Jamshid Sharmahd by Iranian court". European Council. 23 April 2023.
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