Iran claims German-Iranian sentenced to death died before execution carried out

Iran said Tuesday that Iranian-German national Jamshid Sharmahd, who had been sentenced to death, died last week before his execution could be carried out.

"Jamshid Sharmahd was sentenced to death, his execution was imminent, but he died before it could be carried out," judiciary spokesman Asghar Jahangir told reporters in Tehran, without elaborating.

On October 28, Iran announced the execution of the 69-year-old, who had been sentenced to death in February 2023 for the capital offense of "corruption on Earth" over his role in a 2008 "terrorist" attack.

The Supreme Court later confirmed the sentence.

Jahangir said Iran's judicial system tried Sharmahd "as an Iranian for the terrorist actions that he committed".

"Even if he was not Iranian and had committed crimes in Iran, according to the laws and regulations, we had the right to address his crimes," he added.

Sharmahd had been convicted of playing a role in a 2008 mosque bombing in the southern city of Shiraz, in which 14 people were killed and 300 wounded.

His family said he was seized by Iranian authorities in 2020 while traveling through the United Arab Emirates.

Iran, which does not recognize dual citizenship, announced his arrest after a "complex operation", without specifying when, where, or how he was seized.

Sharmahd was also accused of leading the Tondar group, which aims to topple the Islamic Republic. Iran classifies it as a terrorist organization.

Germany condemned Iran after his execution was announced, with Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock saying it showed "inhumane regime rules in Tehran".

Baerbock later announced three Iranian consulates in Germany would be shuttered as a result -- a move that triggered a "strong protest" from the Islamic Republic.