HCHR- The trial of Sharmahd, the ringleader of the Tondar (Thunder), a terrorist group accused of committing terror attacks and anti-revolutionary operations against Iran, was held in a plenary court session presided over by Judge Abolqassem Salavati in the capital, Tehran.
The prosecutor's representative, the families of the victims of the group’s terrorist acts and the defendant and his lawyers were in attendance.
The highlights of the hearing is available here.
The Islamic Republic of Iran is among few nations to have been a major victim of terrorism despite taking various counter-terrorism measures. Over recent decades, more than 17,000 innocent civilians have lost their lives in terrorist operations carried out by a variety of terrorist groups.
Enjoying the all-out support of the U.S. government, Jasmshid Sharmahd, the ringleader of the terrorist Kingdom Assembly of Iran, hereinafter referred to as Tondar, was carrying out terrorist operations prior to his arrest in July 2020. The first court hearing for Sharmahd was held on 6 February 2022 in the presence of the defendant’s defense attorney. The third court hearing for the abovenamed was held on 6 March 2022. At the hearing, the third part of the bill of indictment was presented to the Court by the prosecuting attorney, the highlights of which are listed hereunder:
Members of the aforesaid terrorist group had planned to carry out a bombing during the Friday prayers in Rasht; however, the operation was fortunately called off after they were arrested. Other sensitive places in the city of Rasht were however targeted by terrorist operations. Jamshid Sharmahd had also ordered the assassination of then Governor of Guilan. Members of the Tondar terrorist grouplet tried to place the explosives inside a travel tent set up around the governor’s house in order to assassinate him by detonating the explosives. The terrorist operation was fortunately was thwarted by the police after they identified the tent.
Brian Hook has held a conference in the United States focusing on Iran, with terrorist groups in attendance. The defendant was also present at the conference. Video footage and images of him being present in the conference were displayed in the Court.
Members of the Tondar terrorist grouplet had planned to blow up oil pipelines in the port of Genaveh, and obtained necessary information to do so. They had also sent the information to Sharmahd, but the aforesaid postponed the explosion to a later date and ordered members of the terrorist grouplet to go to Tehran and the north to carry out other previously-planned terrorist operations.
Led by the defendant, members of the abovenamed terrorist grouplet intended to carry out a bombing with cyanide at the Tehran Book Fair to increase the number of casualties. The operation was however not carried out after their explosives experienced combustion in Jahan Hotel of Tehran. During the court hearing, a video was shown about eyewitness testimonies by those who had witnessed that the fire in Jahan Hotel of Tehran was ignited due to a bomb-making operation by members of the Tondar terrorist.
The Tondar terrorist grouplet had also intended to carry out terrorist operations in the Islamic Consultative Assembly )parliament) using chemicals. According to acknowledgements made by the arrested members of the said terrorist grouplet, they had planned to put the chemicals in the ventilation system of the Islamic Consultative Assembly and distribute them in the courtyard. The terrorist operation was not carried out as they were arrested.
Another plan of the aforesaid terrorist grouplet was to intimidate the society, and to finance terrorist operations through robbing banks and exchange offices.
During the court hearing, an audio file was broadcast in which the defendant had acknowledged to having ordered all acts of violence and bombings.
