Iranian Foreign Ministry Spokesman Nasser Kana'ani rejected Germany's meddlesome stance on the death sentence issued for a terrorist ringleader by an Iranian court, and further warned that such positions not only hinder the implementation of justice but “encourage terrorists” and “promote terrorism” across the globe.
Iran’s Supreme Court on Wednesday upheld the death penalty for Jamshid Sharmahd, ringleader of a terrorist group, after it found “no reason or evidence” to reverse the ruling. In response, Germany’s Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock urged Tehran to “immediately” reverse the verdict, calling it “completely unacceptable".
Reacting to the interventionist positions repeatedly adopted by some German authorities following the confirmation of the judicial and legal verdict issued at the Iranian court against a terrorist and leader of a terror group, Kana'ani stressed on Thursday that Tehran will never ask anyone for permission to deliver justice vis-à-vis terrorists.
“Such positions are not only an attempt at preventing the delivery of justice but they practically encourage terrorists and spread terrorism across the world; therefore, this group of German officials are expected to immediately stop the operations to encourage the terrorists and the sinister phenomenon of terrorism,” he said.
“Those who claim to be fighting terrorism are, at least, expected not to seek to award the child-killing terrorists with their behavior and conduct if they do not cooperate with Iran in serving justice in the case of terrorists,” the senior official added.
“The people of Iran expect the German government to speak about its actions in the past fifteen years to execute justice against a criminal who, in just one of his crimes, killed a large number of people, including two teenage brothers in Shiraz,” the spokesperson stated.
“Attempting to block the path of justice against child-killing terrorists is one of the remarkable examples of human rights violations, and human rights violators cannot claim to be advocates of human rights,” Kana'ani said.
“The Islamic Republic of Iran will not seek permission from anyone on the path of confronting terrorism and executing justice against terrorists, and it believes that the interventionist and authoritarian statements of some German officials regarding the verdict issued in an Iranian court against a marked terrorist, is a clear example of supporting terrorism and interference in Iran’s domestic affairs. The Islamic Republic of Iran does not, of course, tolerate such meddling,” the top diplomat continued.
The spokesman advised Berlin to adhere to the principle of sovereign equality, mutual respect and avoid emotional behavior.
In mid-February, a court in Iran announced that Sharmahd has been convicted of “corruption on earth” through directing terrorist activities and has been sentenced to death. The Iranian court ruled that the 67 year-old Iranian national has been involved in plots to carry out 23 terrorist attacks and had managed to implement five cases.
Back in August 2020, the Iranian Intelligence Ministry announced that the country's security agents have captured Sharmahd, the ringleader of Tondar terrorist group.
The ministry said it has dealt a heavy blow to the Tondar group that planned and carried out a deadly terrorist attack on Seyyed Al-Shohada mosque in the Southern city of Shiraz, Fars Province, in 2008, which killed 14 people and wounded 215 others.
Sharmahd, who holds German citizenship and used to reside in the US, personally planned and directed the terror attack.
It added that the terrorist group had also planned to carry out other large-scale operations, like blowing up several places, including Sivand Dam in Shiraz, Mausoleum of the late founder of the Islamic Republic Imam Khomeini in Southern Tehran and Tehran International Book Fair, which were all foiled.
Tehran says Washington must be held accountable for "supporting this terrorist grouplet (Tondar) and other [terrorist] outfits as well as criminals that lead sabotage, armed and terrorist operations from within the United States against the Iranian people" and shed the blood of Iranians.