Pressed for details about the circumstances of his death, Tehran said on Tuesday that German-Iranian software developer Jamshid Sharmahd had died before his planned execution could be carried out.

 "Jamshid Sharmahd was sentenced to death, his execution was imminent, but he died before it could be carried out," judiciary spokesman Asghar Jahangir told reporters, without giving further details.

Jahangir's statement directly contradicts an earlier one from the Iranian government saying the dual citizen had been put to death.

His comments came after Sharmahd's daughter Gazelle had made public requests for the details of her father's death and asked for his remains to be returned to the family.

Who was Jamshid Sharmahd?

The 69-year-old was born in Iran but grew up in Germany, later gaining German citizenship. He later became a successful software developer and longtime resident of California.

A cyberattack against a website related to the Tondar group, which aims to topple the Iranian regime, revealed his links to the organization.

Accused of having a role in the 2008 mosque bombing in the southern Iranian city of Shiraz, which killed 14 people, Sharmahd was kidnapped on a trip to Dubai in 2020.

Iran, which does not recognize dual citizenship, called his apprehension a "complex operation" and did not elaborate on how it was carried out.

Sharmahd was sentenced to death in February 2023 for the crime of "corruption on earth," a nebulous charge that has been used to cover all kinds of religious offenses.

His death has further strained already frosty relations between Germany and Iran. German Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock said it showed an "inhumane regime rules in Tehran" and announced the closure of all three of Iran's consulates in Germany.

The Islamic Repulic condemned the move, saying it amounted to an official sanction.

es/sms (AP, Reuters)