Washington D.C, October 28, 2024 – It is with great sorrow that Hostage Aid Worldwide learned of the barbaric execution of German citizen and American national Jamshid Sharmahd at the hands of the Iranian Regime today.
Jamshid was a German-American journalist and software engineer of Iranian descent. He spent decades of his life supporting the civil society movements for freedom in Iran. The Islamic Republic regime was adamant in getting rid of Jimmy. He became a target of an assassination plot in Los Angeles in 2009, and on August 1, 2020, he was kidnapped from Dubai to Iran by agents of the Islamic regime during a flight overlay in Dubai. The UN Working Group on Arbitrary Detention declared him kidnapped and arbitrarily detained based solely on exercising his rights of freedom of opinion and expression. Jimmy Sharmahd was forced into confessions under torture, charged with “corruption on earth” and sentenced to death in a “sham trial”. He spent more than 1500 days in solitary confinement and was subjected to psychological and physical torture. Jimmy was left behind in the September 2023 hostage deal between the US Administration and the Islamic Regime in Iran.
He was also left behind in several deals between EU countries and Iran that freed some hostages and left others behind.
HAW President Nizar Zakka: “This is a tragedy that could have been avoided. Jimmy would not have been killed had the countries he called home united to prevent his execution. Gazelle Sharmahd, a courageous and devoted daughter, fought relentlessly and single-handedly to save her father and demanded the creation of a global task force to free Jimmy and all hostages in Iran. Yet, these urgent pleas and efforts fell on deaf ears, resulting in an outcome that is not only devastating but also a damning indictment of these governments’ collective inaction. Jimmy’s death should not be in vain. Now, more than ever, leaders of the free world must unite to end the abhorrent practice of hostage-taking. We cannot and will not forget Jimmy! My heart goes out to the family and I am truly heartbroken that we couldn’t do more to save Jimmy.”
Hostage Aid Worldwide condemns the execution of Jamshid and the inertia of world leaders who stood by and watched as this barbaric act took place. Our sincere condolences to his family. They fought a long hard battle for over 4 years.
We reiterate our call to the German Chancellor Olaf Scholz, President Biden and EU countries: You all have citizens held hostage in Iran. You did not save Jimmy, but you can still bring the remaining hostages home. Unite, form a global task force, and Free Them All.
