Washington D.C. – Al Monitor, October 29, 2024
Germany and the European Union on Tuesday strongly condemned Iran’s execution of a 69-year-old German-Iranian dissident after years behind bars and warned they were considering retaliatory measures.
Chancellor Olaf Scholz called Jamshid Sharmahd’s execution on Monday a “scandal” and Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock warned Iran’s “inhumane regime” of “serious consequences”.
Iran’s Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi doubled down and poured scorn on her comments, writing on X that “a German passport does not provide impunity to anyone, let alone a terrorist criminal”.
Berlin summoned Iran’s charge d’affaires to “convey its strong protest” at the execution. The German ambassador in Tehran also protested to the Iranian foreign ministry and was then recalled to Berlin for consultations.
Berlin “reserved the right to take further measures”, the foreign ministry said.
Tehran said it had also summoned the German ambassador ahead of his departure over what it called the “interventionist stance” of some German officials.
The EU’s top diplomat Josep Borrell said the bloc condemned Sharmahd’s “killing in the strongest possible terms” and was also “considering measures in response”.
A European Commission spokeswoman told reporters that “any measures” could be taken against Iran and that they “have to be discussed with all member states”.
