Germany brands 2 Iranian diplomats persona non grata

Germany announced Wednesday it is expelling two Iranian diplomats in response to Iran’s sentencing a German national to death. The move came a day after Iranian authorities announced the sentence for Jamshid Sharmahd, who was convicted of terrorism charges.

Iran claims Sharmahd is the leader of the armed wing of a group advocating the restoration of the monarchy that was overthrown in the 1979 Islamic Revolution, but his family said he was merely the spokesman for the opposition group and denies he was involved in any attacks.

They accuse Iranian intelligence of abducting him from Dubai in 2020. German Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock said she summoned Iran’s charge d’affaires in Berlin and informed him that “we will not accept this massive breach of a German citizen’s rights.”

The death sentence, which can be appealed, comes against the backdrop of months of anti-government protests in Iran and a fierce crackdown on dissent. Monarchists based outside Iran support the protests, as do other groups and individuals with different ideologies.