Shabtabnews In this dark night, I have lost my way – Arise from a corner, oh you the star of guidance.
Iranwire – The daughter of Jamshid Sharmahd, a German-Iranian man sentenced to death in Iran, has asked authorities in Germany to open criminal proceedings against Iranian judicial authorities, alleging crimes against humanity.
Gazelle Sharmahd filed a criminal complaint with the German federal prosecutor’s office against eight high-ranking members of the judiciary and the intelligence service, the Berlin-based European Center for Constitutional and Human Rights (ECCHR), which is supporting her case, said in a statement on June 21.
It said that prominent Iranian judge Abdolghassem Salavati and former Intelligence Minister Mahmoud Alavi are among those targeted by the complaint.
The family of Sharmahd, who also has US residency, says he was abducted by Iranian officials in the United Arab Emirates in July 2020 and forcibly transferred to Iran.
Iranian authorities accuse him of heading a pro-monarchist group they blame for a deadly 2008 bombing and planning other attacks in the country, charges Sharmahd denies.
His death sentence, which was announced in February amid an increase in executions by Iran, was condemned by Germany and human rights groups. The German government ordered two employees of the Iranian embassy in Berlin to leave the country in protest, which was followed by a similar move by Tehran.
Western governments have repeatedly accused the Islamic Republic of taking dual and foreign nationals hostage for the sole purpose of using them in prisoner swaps or as a bargaining chip in international negotiations.
“The kidnapping in Dubai, the unlawful detention, the torture while in detention, and the imminent execution of my father as a result of a show trial exemplify the untold crimes of the Iranian regime,” Gazelle Sharmahd said.
ECCHR’s Secretary-General Wolfgang Kaleck said that the Islamic Republic “is responsible for the systematic torture, sexual violence, executions and ‘disappearances’ perpetrated against tens of thousands of people — most recently in the wake of the crackdown on the feminist revolution.”
“Whether through criminal charges in Germany in the Sharmahd case, legal action in another country or before an international court, the goal is to bring high-ranking officials of the Iranian government, judiciary, and security apparatus to justice for these crimes,” he added.
Germany follows the principle of universal jurisdiction, under which authorities can investigate serious crimes committed elsewhere in the world.
Human rights advocates have accused the Iranian authorities of escalating executions to try to instill fear in society following months of nationwide protests sparked by the September 2022 death of 22-year-old Mahsa Amini in the custody of morality police.
According to the Norway-based Iran Human Rights group, the Islamic Republic executed at least 142 people in May, the highest monthly number since 2015.
The European Union, the United States and other countries have imposed several rounds of sanctions on Iran over its brutal response to the women-led protest movement.
Activists say more than 520 people have been killed and over 20,000 others have been unlawfully detained in connection with the protests.
Following biased trials, the judiciary has handed down stiff sentences, including the death penalty, to protesters.
