Why Has Germany Recalled Its Ambassador From Iran?

Germany lodged a formal protest with Iran on Tuesday in response to the execution of Jamshid Sharmahd, an Iranian-German national who had been living in the United States. Sharmahd was abducted by Iranian security forces in Dubai in 2020. In light of this incident, Germany recalled its ambassador to Berlin for consultations.

Iran’s charge d’affaires in Berlin summoned

The German Foreign Ministry announced on the social media platform X that it summoned Iran’s charge d’affaires in Berlin to convey a strong protest regarding Tehran’s actions, indicating that the country retains the right to consider additional measures, although no specific details were provided.

Simultaneously, German Ambassador Markus Potzel expressed his firm condemnation of Sharmahd’s killing to the Iranian foreign minister. Following this, German Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock decided to bring Potzel back to Berlin for further discussions.

Why is Germany protesting the execution of Jamshid Sharmahd?

According to the Iranian judiciary, Sharmahd, aged 69, was executed on Monday on terrorism charges. This followed a trial in 2023 that was criticized by Germany, the US, and various international human rights organizations as a farce.

Sharmahd was among a number of Iranian dissidents abroad who have been deceived or forcibly returned to Iran as the Iranian government intensified its actions following the collapse of the 2015 nuclear deal with world powers, including Germany.

Accused in 2008 attack on a mosque

Iran accused Sharmahd of orchestrating a 2008 attack on a mosque that resulted in the deaths of 14 individuals, including five women and a child, and injured more than 200 others. He was also alleged to have plotted other attacks through the little-known Kingdom Assembly of Iran and its militant group, Tondar. Additionally, Iran claimed that Sharmahd revealed classified information regarding missile sites belonging to the Revolutionary Guard during a television broadcast in 2017.

Sharmahd’s family has denied these accusations and has spent years advocating for his release. At the time of his abduction in 2020, Sharmahd was in Dubai, intending to travel to India for a business opportunity related to his software company. He was seeking a connecting flight, even as the global travel landscape was disrupted by the COVID-19 pandemic.

Germany expelled two Iranian diplomats in 2023

The last communication Sharmahd’s family received from him was on July 28, 2020. The circumstances of his abduction remain unclear, but tracking data indicated that his mobile phone traveled from Dubai to the city of Al Ain on July 29, crossing into Oman. On July 30, the phone signal was detected in the Omani port city of Sohar, after which it ceased.

Two days later, Iran announced that it had apprehended Sharmahd in what it described as a “complex operation.” The Intelligence Ministry later released a photo of him blindfolded.

In 2023, Germany expelled two Iranian diplomats in response to Sharmahd’s death sentence.

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