UPDATE - Protesting death sentence on dissident, Germany brands 2 Iranian diplomats persona non grata

UPDATES WITH REMARKS BY CHANCELLOR SCHOLZ, REVISES HEADLINE, DECK

BERLIN (AA) - Germany on Wednesday declared two Iranian diplomats persona non grata in protest of the death sentence handed down to a German-Iranian dissident.

Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock slammed an Iranian court’s death sentence for Jamshid Sharmahd, and said the Iranian Embassy’s charge d'affaires – Tehran’s top diplomat in Germany – was summoned to the ministry to condemn the decision.

“He was told that we do not accept the massive violation of the rights of a German citizen,” Baerbock said in a statement.

“As a result, the German government has declared two members of the Iranian Embassy to be persona non grata, and asked them to leave Germany immediately,” she added.

Baerbock urged Iranian authorities to revoke the death sentence and give Sharmahd a fair trial and due process of appeal.

Chancellor Olaf Scholz also heavily criticized Tehran and asked it to quash the death sentence on the German-Iranian citizen.

“The Iranian regime fights its own people in every way it can and disregards human rights. The death sentence against Jamshid Sharmahd is unacceptable,” Scholz wrote on Twitter.

“We condemn this in the strongest possible terms and call on the Iranian regime to reverse the verdict.”