Memorial ceremony in Berlin for German-Iranian as questions remain
Almost six months after the death of German-Iranian dual national Jamshid Sharmahd in Iranian custody, relatives and friends held a memorial ceremony in the German capital on Friday.
The service at a funeral parlour in the Neukölln district of Berlin was attended by his daughter and son, who live in the United States.
Among the guests were German Agriculture Minister Cem Özdemir, and Berlin's deputy mayor Franziska Giffey.
In the evening, an Iranian opposition group is planning a solidarity rally for all political prisoners in Iran at the Brandenburg Gate.
Sharmahd, a computer expert and entrepreneur, was born in Tehran in 1955, grew up in the northern German city of Hanover and moved to California in 2003, where he was active in an Iranian opposition group in exile.
In the summer of 2020, he was abducted under mysterious circumstances while travelling from Dubai to Iran.
Iran's judiciary announced at the end of October that Sharmahd would be executed after being sentenced to death in early 2023. He was convicted during a controversial trial following allegations of terrorism, which relatives and human rights activists rejected as baseless.
Iran's judiciary later declared that Sharmahd had not been executed but had in fact died in custody. Many questions remain about his death.
Last year, his daughter accused the US and German governments of having done nothing to secure her father's release - accusations she repeated at the memorial service.
The human rights organization Amnesty International called for an "independent, impartial and effective" investigation into the causes and circumstances of Jamshid Sharmahd's death, which remain unclear following an autopsy.
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Yahoo
4 hours ago
- Yahoo
Father and daughter hikers found dead in Maine state park were ‘especially close'
A New York father and daughter whose bodies were found in a Maine state park last week following extensive search efforts were 'especially close,' according to their joint obituary. The disappearance of Ulster Park residents Esther and Timothy Keiderling, 28 and 58, respectively, sparked large-scale searches in Baxter State Park early last week, state park officials said previously. The pair was last seen hiking up Mount Katahdin the morning of Sunday, June 1. Several law enforcement agencies began looking for the Keiderlings after their car was found still sitting in the day-use parking lot on June 2, officials said. Timothy Keiderling's body was found on June 3 near the mountain's summit, and his daughter's body was found the next afternoon in a wooded area of the state park. Weather conditions are believed to have been a factor in the Keiderlings' deaths, Baxter State Park Director Kevin Adam said last week. Temperatures in the park on June 1 were 30 to 40 degrees, and there was freezing rain, fog and even some snow, he said. Timothy Daniel Keiderling was born in Waterbury, Connecticut, to Ulrich and Ellen Keiderling on Sept. 22, 1966, according to the joint obituary. He grew up in Connecticut and New York with his seven siblings before graduating from Kingston High School in Kingston, New York, in 1983. Timothy Keiderling went on to study computer science at Sullivan County Community College, though his friends say baking was his favorite subject, according to the joint obituary. After graduating high school, he also joined the Bruderhof community — an Anabaptist Christian community of German origin that has spread across the world over the last century, taking his membership vows in 1988. 'Endowed with unquenchable energy and enthusiasm for life, Tim served his community in many capacities: as an elementary school teacher, a financial administrator, and, over the last ten years, as a traveling salesman for Rifton Equipment,' the joint obituary reads. 'As a teacher, he will be remembered most for his infectious energy, his patient kindness, and his ability to pull together the most rambunctious groups of children.' Read more: Father, daughter found dead after days-long search in Maine state park Timothy Keiderling taught world history and geography, according to the joint obituary. He was also an avid outdoorsman who enjoyed leading hikes through the fields and woods of the Hudson Valley, in addition to camping and beekeeping. 'As a salesman for Rifton, a manufacturer of adaptive physical therapy equipment, he was passionate about helping children and adults with disabilities. But he was equally passionate in selling the good news of the Gospel, which he did with unabashed and cheerful vigor,' the joint obituary reads. 'His ability to re-tell stories from the Bible was legendary, and he held both children and adults spellbound with his creative recounting of events from both the Old and New Testaments.' Over the years, Timothy Keiderling and his wife of 31 years, Annemarie Keiderling, raised four daughters — Esther, Sophie, Heidi and Katherine Keiderling — and two sons — Karl and Timothy Keiderling, according to the joint obituary. Timothy and Annemarie Keiderling were also grandparents to two granddaughters. But Timothy Keiderling was especially close to Esther Keiderling — his eldest daughter, according to his obituary. 'What drew both him and Esther to high places was always the view — the broad expanse of God's handiwork, laid out below them,' the joint obituary reads. 'The unbearable tragedy of their passing aside, it is perhaps fitting that they went Home from a mountain top: a place of danger and solitude, but also, a place close to God." Esther Louisa Keiderling was born Jan. 20, 1997, according to the joint obituary. She graduated from The Mount Academy — a Bruderhof seminary in New York — in 2015. Like her father, Esther Keiderling earned a living working for Rifton Equipment's sales department, according to the joint obituary. She was also a frequent contributor to Plough magazine — a Bruderhof publication focusing on faith and spiritual life. Read more: Weather 'definitely a factor' in death of New York hikers in Maine park 'Quieter than her father, Esther was a sensitive, deeply-thinking woman who loved reading and writing, with a particular interest in the poetry of Gerard Manley Hopkins and Edna St. Vincent Millay. (In her last Substack post, on May 31, she urged her readers to read 'all' of Millay's 'Renascence', fittingly written in Maine.),' the joint obituary reads. 'Her friends remember with great fondness how attentive she was to the needs of those around her, noticing when someone needed a word of encouragement or a small gift of some kind. Such gifts often included her own heartfelt poetry.' Timothy and Esther Keiderling are survived by their aforementioned family members and many other beloved friends and relatives, according to the joint obituary. 'The family takes comfort in knowing that Tim and Esther are now with Jesus,' the joint obituary reads. Powerball: See the winning numbers in Monday's $54 million drawing West Springfield man killed in Chicopee shooting remembered as an 'avid reader' Suspect wanted in Brockton shopping plaza shooting turns himself in to police Mass. weather: Central Mass. could see over 1 inch of rain on Tuesday Some Nantucket short-term rentals in jeopardy after land court decision Read the original article on MassLive.
Axios
7 hours ago
- Axios
Scoop: Trump held lengthy Camp David strategy session with top team on Iran and Gaza
President Trump and his entire top foreign policy team huddled in Camp David for hours on Sunday to discuss U.S. strategy on the Iran nuclear crisis and the war in Gaza, two U.S. officials and another source with knowledge tell Axios. Why it matters: Trump's missions to reach a nuclear deal that averts war with Iran and a hostage and ceasefire deal that could end the war in Gaza have both faced recent setbacks. A senior U.S. official told Axios the president sees both crisis as intertwined and part of a broader regional reality he is trying to shape. Behind the scenes: U.S. officials said the "retreat" in Camp David included several policy sessions. The meeting on Iran and Gaza was attended by Trump, Vice President Vance, Secretary of State Marco Rubio, Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth, chief of staff Susie Wiles, special envoy Steve Witkoff, CIA director John Ratcliffe, director of national intelligence Tulsi Gabbard and other senior officials. Trump said Monday that "generals and admirals" also attended the meetings but declined to say what was discussed. "The retreat allowed all the senior people in the administration to sit together for a long time and discuss these issues," a U.S. official said. The White House didn't respond to a request for a comment. Split screen: Iranian officials have been finalizing their response to the U.S. nuclear deal proposal, and are expected to deliver a formal rejection in the next 24 hours. A senior White House official said the White House has received indications that despite saying "no," Iran will express interest in continuing the negotiations. "We sent the Iranians and very tough proposal, and we expect that they will give a harsh response." Trump said Monday that the Iranians were "good negotiators" but "sometimes they can be too tough," adding: "We're trying to make a deal so that there's no destruction and death. ... I hope that's the way it works out, but it might not work out that way. We'll soon find out." The White House says Trump's original deadline for a deal expires this Thursday, though both sides want to keep talking for now. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is more interested in pursuing a military option — though he's assured Trump he won't make a move while the talks are ongoing, as Axios reported. Trump called Netanyahu Monday before leaving Camp David. After the call, Trump told reporters Iran's demands were "just not acceptable," particularly on uranium enrichment. "So far, they're not there. I hate to say that, because the alternative is a very, very dire one." Iran's Foreign Ministry said a sixth round of talks would take place Sunday in Muscat, Oman. The senior U.S. official said Friday in Oslo was also an option. State of play: Trump and Netanyahu also discussed the situation in Gaza, a U.S. official said.
Yahoo
7 hours ago
- Yahoo
Oil inches up, outcome of US-China trade talks awaited
By Anjana Anil (Reuters) -Oil prices edged up on Tuesday as market participants waited for the outcome of U.S.-China talks that could pave the way for easing trade tensions and improve fuel demand. Brent crude futures edged up 12 cents to $67.16 a barrel at 0041 GMT. U.S. West Texas Intermediate crude was trading up 13 cents at $65.42, after hitting its highest since April 4 earlier in the session. On Monday, Brent had risen to $67.19, the highest since April 28, buoyed by the prospect of a U.S.-China trade deal. U.S.-China trade talks were set to continue for a second day in London as top officials aimed to ease tensions that have expanded from tariffs to rare earth curbs, risking global supply chain disruptions and slower growth. U.S. President Donald Trump said on Monday that the talks were going well and he was "only getting good reports" from his team in London. A trade deal between the U.S. and China could support the global economic outlook and boost demand for commodities including oil. Elsewhere, Iran said it would soon hand a counter-proposal for a nuclear deal to the U.S. in response to a U.S. offer that Tehran deems "unacceptable", while Trump made clear that the two sides remained at odds over whether the country would be allowed to continue enriching uranium on Iranian soil. Iran is the third-largest producer among members of the Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries and any easing of U.S. sanctions on Iran would allow it to export more oil, weighing on global crude prices. Meanwhile, a Reuters survey found that OPEC oil output rose in May, although the increase was limited as Iraq pumped below target to compensate for earlier overproduction and Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates made smaller hikes than allowed. OPEC+, which pumps about half of the world's oil and includes OPEC members and allies such as Russia, is accelerating its plan to unwind its most recent layer of output cuts. "The prospect of further hikes in OPEC supply continues to hang over the market," Daniel Hynes, senior commodity strategist at ANZ, said in a note. "A permanent shift to a market driven strategy (in OPEC) would push the oil market into a sizeable surplus in H2 2025 and almost surely lead to lower oil prices." Error in retrieving data Sign in to access your portfolio Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data
