In today’s interconnected world, theocratic regimes pose a threat not only to their own citizens and neighbouring regions but also far beyond their borders. Dictators find one another and make alliances to amplify their capacity for foreign interference and other destabilising means. This raises the question: why don’t democratic nations—often close allies with shared values—join forces to stop these threats?

The Islamic Republic of Iran’s hostage-taking of foreign citizens to use as a leverage against the democratic world has been disturbingly effective, particularly because of the limited and fragmented response it has received thus far. Recent events, such as the execution of German-Iranian national Jamshid Sharmahd, highlight the urgency for stronger, more unified actions from democratic countries, including New Zealand.

In 2022, the Kiwi influencers, Bridget Thackwray and Topher Richwhite, set off on a global journey, documenting their adventures on social media under the moniker "Expedition Earth." Their travels took an unexpected turn when they were detained by the Islamic Republic’s authorities while traversing Iran. The couple was held for nearly four months, during which time the New Zealand government engaged in quiet diplomacy to secure their release. The detention remained under wraps until after they were safely out of Iran.

The timing of their detention was particularly sensitive, coinciding with the "Woman, Life, Freedom" uprisings in Iran following the killing of Jina Mahsa Amini while in police custody. As Iranian communities worldwide, including activists in New Zealand, rallied in support of the uprising in Iran, the New Zealand government's public response remained notably restrained. Critics argued that this muted stance was an attempt to avoid jeopardising negotiations for the couple's release.

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Since its establishment in 1979, the Islamic Republic of Iran has used hostage-taking of foreign citizens as a strategic tool in its foreign policy. The lack of clear red lines and serious consequences from democratic countries—who have accommodated this strategy with quiet, behind-the-curtain diplomacy—has only made the outlaw regime in Tehran more confident, aggressive, and increasingly out of control.

A similar careful diplomacy led the regime to exchange Dr. Kylie Moore-Gilbert, an Australian academic detained in Iran from 2018 to 2020 on charges of espionage, who endured over two years of imprisonment in Tehran. Her release was secured through a prisoner swap involving three Iranian nationals held in Thailand in connection with a failed bomb plot in 2012.

Last week, just two days after an Israeli attack on Iran, the regime in Tehran announced that Jamshid Sharmahd - a German-Iranian dual citizen who was kidnapped from the UAE in 2020 and held hostage in Iran for over four years - was executed. A week later, they changed their account, claiming that Sharmahd had died of a heart attack before the execution could be carried out. Sharmahd, who held a U.S. green card and resided in California with his family, hosted a small radio channel where he spoke openly against political Islam. Only after his killing did Germany recall its ambassador to Iran and shut down the Islamic regime's three consulates in Germany.

The discrepancy between the viewpoints of democratic countries and those with stronger stance is about the language each side believes the regime responds to. Democratic countries tend to believe that diplomacy and negotiations will work, while past instances and the majority among the Iranian opposition - from people to political activists and analysts - believe that the regime only retreats when confronted with clear red lines and strong consequences. A push-and-pull strategy only makes them believe in their (cowardly) power and strategies more.

Iranian Solidarity Group New Zealand and other human rights advocates have repeatedly urged governments worldwide, including New Zealand, to take definitive action. The proposed measures include formally designating the Islamic Republic of Iran’s Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) as a terrorist organisation and reducing diplomatic ties. Now we urge the democratic governments to take these measures collectively. Drawing clear red-lines through shaping an alliance and responding to such atrocities unitedly can increase the cost to the regime and act as an effective barrier.

The escalating tensions between Iran and Israel poses a particular risk towards dual citizens. It is time for all democratic countries to respond to the unjust killing of foreign hostages at the hands of the regime—even if they are not their own citizens—and put an end to the regime’s aggressive and deadly foreign strategy.

By taking leadership towards shaping such an alliance and enacting decisive actions, New Zealand can both protect dual nationals and bolster international efforts to hold Iran accountable. In doing so, New Zealand upholds its principles and lends essential support to those fighting for a more just future in Iran.

The writers of this piece - Hanna Habibi and Abbas Alizadeh, are members of the Iranian Solidarity Group New Zealand.

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