Iran's Human Rights Chief Raps EU Top Diplomat's Remarks on Death Sentence for Terror Ringleader

Deputy Judiciary Chief and head of Iran's Human Rights Headquarters Kazzem Qaribabadi strongly blasted EU Foreign Policy Chief Josep Borrell for his meddlesome comment regarding the death sentence given to a terrorist ringleader who was convicted of planning a series of terror attacks on Iran's soil, including the 2008 deadly attack on a mosque in Shiraz.

"A terrorist Iranian national was supported in Europe and in the United States," Qaribabadi wrote on his Twitter account on Saturday, adding that Jamshid Sharmahd has been sentenced to death based on Iranian laws.

He stated that those who oppose the execution of Sharmahd have no regards for rights of the victims of terrorism, noting that instead of condemning the terrorist acts committed by Sharmahd, the EU and the US have decided to defend a terrorist.

"This is the face of the Europe which apparently defends human rights", the senior official continued.

In a statement issued on Friday, the European Union announced that it "strongly condemns" the death sentence imposed on Sharmahd. Borrell has called on Tehran to refrain from executing Sharmahd.

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 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.