Iran expels 2 German diplomats in tit-for-tat move

Iran has designated two German envoys as personae non gratae and ordered them to leave the country, the Iranian Foreign Ministry said Wednesday.

"The two German diplomats are being expelled due to their country's irresponsible interference in Iran's internal and judicial affairs," ministry spokesperson Nasser Kanaani said.

Berlin criticized the decision as "arbitrary and unjustified."

"They have done nothing wrong," a Foreign Ministry spokesman in Berlin said. 

The decision came a week after a similar move by the German government. It expelled two employees of the Iranian Embassy in Berlin in response to a death sentence handed down to German-Iranian national Jamshid Sharmahd in Tehran.

The 67-year-old activist and software developer, who is also a US resident, was convicted of "corruption in the Islamic Republic."  Sharmahd's family and supporters had urged the German government to "save his life."

 "The Iranian regime is fighting its own people in every way possible and shows no respect for human rights," German Chancellor Olaf Scholz said at the time.

What is Jamshid Sharmahd accused of?

Iran accused Sharmahd of being a member of a pro-monarchy group which has been blamed for a deadly bombing in 2008. The verdict can be appealed by the Supreme Court.

His family and supporters have rejected the charges in the strongest terms and asked Berlin to "act immediately" to save "his life." However, Iranian courts do not recognize dual citizenship. 

Prosecutors charged that Sharmahd had established contact with "FBI and CIA officers" and had "attempted to contact Israeli Mossad agents." The judiciary said Sharmahd had planned to commit 23 "terrorist" acts, of which he succeeded in five.

Sharmahd is accused of leading the Tondar group, which has been outlawed as a terrorist organization by the government.

Apart from Sharmahd, Iran is holding at least another 16 Western citizens, most of whom are dual nationals. 

los/nm (Reuters, AFP)