A German forensic autopsy has revealed the removal of vital organs from the body of Jamshid Sharmahd, an Iranian-German citizen who died in Iranian custody under suspicious circumstances. The findings have intensified scrutiny of Iran’s prison system and have raised serious questions about possible systematic organ theft from prisoners, compounding longstanding concerns about the country’s treatment of detainees and dissidents.
Sharmahd, 69, was detained by Iranian authorities in the summer of 2020 and sentenced to death following what human rights groups condemned as a closed and deeply flawed judicial process. Iran accused him of involvement in alleged terrorist activities, though international organizations and Western governments consistently challenged both the legitimacy and the transparency of the charges and proceedings.
About six months ago, Sharmahd died in Iranian custody. The precise cause of death was not disclosed by Iranian authorities, and his family, as well as human rights advocates, had long voiced fears over his health, wellbeing, and access to due process. Only recently was Sharmahd’s body transferred to Germany for independent examination, a process that has now revealed critical gaps and disturbing evidence.
According to German officials, the autopsy determined that Sharmahd’s body was missing his tongue, heart, and thyroid gland. The absence of these organs severely hampers efforts to determine the exact cause of death, and the German forensic team could not rule out poisoning or other forms of foul play. Furthermore, the autopsy found no physical signs of execution, leaving the precise circumstances of his death unresolved.
This case, though extraordinary in its international prominence, forms part of a broader pattern. For decades, families of executed or deceased prisoners in Iran—particularly those held on political, security, or dissident charges—have reported that bodies returned by authorities are often missing organs or bear unexplained mutilations. Human rights organizations, including Amnesty International and United Nations special rapporteurs, have demanded transparent investigations and accountability. Iranian authorities have routinely denied accusations of abuse and refused access to independent investigators.
The transfer of Sharmahd’s body to Germany, along with the subsequent findings, has escalated diplomatic tensions between Berlin and Tehran. German officials have called for a thorough and impartial international investigation while condemning the Iranian government’s treatment of dual nationals and repeated violations of international norms. This demand for transparency and accountability is echoed across Europe and by advocacy groups monitoring Iran’s record on detainee rights and due process.
This development occurs within the wider context of escalating concerns about the Iranian regime’s treatment of foreign nationals, dual citizens, and dissidents. Iran’s security apparatus, under the control of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC), has a long history of crackdowns on opposition, secret detentions, forced confessions, and extraterritorial operations targeting perceived enemies abroad. According to Western intelligence and human rights reports, the IRGC has also engaged in intimidation, abductions, and even assassination plots in Europe and North America.
Medical experts and advocacy groups emphasize the gravity of organ removal allegations, warning that these acts not only destroy critical evidence and undermine potential investigations but may also point toward a hidden, illicit market or program involving trafficked human organs. Iran’s health and forensic sectors are tightly linked to government agencies, further complicating efforts at independent verification.
For Israel and its democratic allies, the revelations in Sharmahd’s case serve as further evidence of the Iranian regime’s disregard for basic human rights and due process—a pattern also reflected in Iran’s support for regional terror proxies and its internal suppression of dissent. The documented abuses in Iran underscore the crucial difference between autocratic regimes that routinely violate human dignity, and democratic states that uphold the rule of law under international scrutiny.
The death and post-mortem mutilation of prisoners like Sharmahd continue to fuel demands for independent monitoring of detention conditions and prisoner treatment in Iran. While global advocacy and diplomatic pressure have exposed major abuses, impunity for such crimes remains widespread. International organizations continue to call for independent forensic access, transparency, and an end to arbitrary detention and physical abuse of prisoners by Iranian authorities.
As this latest episode draws renewed attention to human rights violations in Iran, it emphasizes the global stakes in confronting abuses by authoritarian regimes. For families of those detained, and for observers concerned with justice and human dignity, the hope remains that persistent international scrutiny and action may bring eventual accountability for those responsible.
