Jamshid Sharmahd, who had been sentenced to death in Iran, died of a heart attack before his execution could be carried out on October 28, Iran's judiciary spokesman Asghar Jahangir said on November 5, baharnews.ir reported.

Sharmahd, who had dual Iranian-German citizenship, had been convicted on terrorism-related charges by an Iranian court and sentenced to death, a case that had strained relations between Tehran and Berlin, leading to Berlin blocking access to the country’s flag carrier IranAir into European airspace for the first time since the 1979 Iranian revolution. Germany also ordered the closure of Iran's three consulates on October 30 and announced plans to seek EU-wide sanctions following Sharmahd's execution. 

"The judicial system tried him as an Iranian citizen, and even if a non-Iranian commits a crime, it is our legal right to try and punish them," Jahangir said. "His execution order was ready to be carried out, but fate did not give him the chance."

Responding to Germany's protests over Sharmahd's case, Jahangir said, "Iran's judiciary is an independent institution, and we do not allow any foreign (country) to interfere in judicial matters."

The case had drawn international attention and criticism, with Germany repeatedly calling for Sharmahd's release and condemning the death sentence.

Iranian authorities had accused Sharmahd of involvement in terrorist activities, charges which he and his family had denied.

Sharmahd, 69, was an anti-Islamic Republic political activist and radio presenter who had lived in Los Angeles, US, since 2002. He was captured by Iranian security forces in Dubai in August 2020 during a trip and transferred to Iran.

The Iranian Judiciary introduced him as leader of the Tondar “Thunder” group, a militant wing of the Kingdom Assembly of Iran, who had plotted several terrorist operations against Iran "on the orders of his masters in the Western and American spy organisations and the child-killing Zionist regime," Iran’s judiciary said.

The statement claimed he was the mastermind behind the bombing of a mosque in Shiraz in 2008, which killed 14 and wounded over 200 people, as one of his "terrorist actions".

He was also accused of “disclosing classified information” on missile sites of Iran's Islamic Revolution Guards Corps during a television programme in 2017.

His family and various human rights organisations have disputed the charges, arguing that he was denied a fair trial and access to an independent lawyer.

Sharmahd’s daughter, Ghazaleh, criticised both the US and Germany for failing her father, saying on her X account that the execution must have immediate and grave consequences for the Islamic Republic.

"The arrest of this self-proclaimed mercenary is a sign of Iran's will and long hands in pursuing criminals and achieving justice against its sworn enemies, even at a distance," the Judiciary said.

The German Foreign Minister, Annalena Baerbock, strongly condemned this execution, saying it "once again showed what kind of inhumane regime is ruling in Tehran, which uses the death penalty against its own youth, its own people and foreign citizens."

He added that Berlin had repeatedly made it clear to the Islamic Republic that "the execution of a German citizen will have serious consequences."