Gazelle Sharmahd is a human rights activist and the daughter of Jamshid Sharmahd, a German-American national of Iranian descent who was kidnapped from the UAE in 2020 by Iranian agents and has been held as a prisoner in Iran ever since. He was targeted for his activism, journalism, and his outspoken criticism of the Iranian regime. In February 2023, he was sentenced to death for “corruption on earth” following a grossly unfair trial.
Since her father’s kidnapping and sentencing, Sharmahd has emerged as a leading advocate for human rights in Iran. In February 2024, Sharmahd launched the #CutTheRope campaign in response to her father’s plight and the alarming surge in executions within Iran. Through #CutTheRope, Sharmahd encourages individuals worldwide to stand in solidarity, demanding an end to the cycle of state-sanctioned executions in Iran.
