Sharmahd’s son, Shayan Sharmahd, told RFE/RL that his father had been captured “most likely in Dubai, transported to Oman, and taken.” Shayan Sharmahd is in the film business in southern California. He said that the family — which includes his mother and sister — had been able to track his father through Google Maps to Oman. Shayan Sharmahd said his father had been trying to get to India for some time, but had been unable to travel there due to restrictions caused by the coronavirus pandemic. He added that his dad — who is a German citizen but had been living in Glendale, California — had been out of the United States since March. The Intelligence Ministry’s statement did not say when and where Sharmahd had been detained.
