Former head of Iran's Red Crescent Society "sentenced to 12 years in prison"
Ali Asghar Peyvandi, the former head of the Iranian Red Crescent Organization, was sentenced to "12 years in prison, flogging, dismissal from government service, and restitution of property and payment of double the amount of embezzlement" on financial charges.
A number of news agencies in Iran published this news on Wednesday, October 20, citing "informed sources."
Mehr News Agency wrote that Mr. Peyvandi has been sentenced to "12 years of penal servitude, forfeiture of property and payment of approximately 140,000 euros, and permanent dismissal from government service."
He was arrested on December 3, 2019, by the IRGC Intelligence Organization on charges of "embezzlement and illegal appropriation of assets" of the Red Crescent Organization.
Before the news of Mr. Peyvandi's arrest was published, news of his resignation from the presidency of the Red Crescent Society was published, and the organization's public relations director also confirmed the news.
Tasnim News Agency wrote that Ali Asghar Peyvadi was "accused of receiving 680 million dirhams in illegal bribes, illegally obtaining 40,000 euros from the Red Crescent Procurement Organization and 60,000 dirhams from the Red Crescent Hospital in Dubai, and illegally disposing of funds" from the Red Crescent.
According to this report, the former head of the Iranian Red Crescent Organization has been sentenced to "74 lashes of punishment," in addition to imprisonment and permanent dismissal from government service.
According to media reports, Mr. Peyvandi was arrested on November 2, 2019, due to a case related to his presidency at Shahid Beheshti University, and was released a few hours later on bail of three billion tomans.
Mahmoud Sadeghi, a representative of Tehran in the 10th Parliament, made accusations against Mr. Peyvadi, including "corruption and embezzlement in the Iranian Hospital in Dubai, the Taleghani building, the Mahabad project, and the Azgol land project."
Some media outlets have written that Mr. Peyvandi is related to Iranian President Hassan Rouhani. However, he said that he is from Sorkheh, Semnan and a fellow citizen of Hassan Rouhani, but he is not related to the president.
Source: Radio Farda
