A statement by the Iranian Ministry of Foreign Affairs condemned the move, describing it as an “irrational” and “indefensible decision,” and said that the German Chargé d’Affairs was summoned to inform him of “strong protest.”
Germany had recalled its ambassador to… Tehran Markus Potzel for consultation.
Earlier Thursday, German Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock said that her country had decided to “close the three Iranian general consulates in… Frankfurt Munich and Hamburg” in response to the execution of Iranian dissident who holds German citizenship, Jamshid Sharmahd.
She pointed out in a televised speech that Berlin “informed Tehran regularly and clearly that the execution of a German citizen would have serious consequences.”
A death sentence issued in February 2023 against Jamshid Sharmahd (69 years old) was carried out on Monday, convicting him of “spreading corruption on earth” as part of his accusation of involvement in an attack targeting a mosque in Shiraz (south) in April 2008, which left 14 dead and about 300 wounded.
His family has always maintained that he is innocent.
The Iranian Foreign Ministry statement said, “The German government’s decision to close these centers deliberately deprives Iranians of benefiting from consular facilities and services.”
She warned that Germany’s “unconstructive approach” entailed “a major misjudgment for the consequences of which the German government will bear responsibility.”
