Special courts issue prison sentences and floggings for five money changers
The Third Branch of the Special Court for Prosecution of Corruption and Economic Disruptors sentenced five money changers, who were accused of "appropriating market-intervention currencies," to imprisonment, a fine, and flogging.
The court described the charges against these individuals as follows: "With the cooperation of a number of foreign exchange market brokers and the misuse of national cards of various individuals (formally), they seized the market's intervention currencies and, with this action, caused an increase in the price of foreign exchange and basic goods."
The identities of these five people have been revealed as Ehsan Safavi Amir, Behzad Bahrami, Mazen Qaeni, Majid Ansari, and Peyman Arghavani.
According to the verdict of the special court, Ehsan Safavi Amir and Behzad Bahrami were each sentenced to 10 years in prison and, as a financial penalty, to confiscate two billion rials of funds they had acquired "illegally" for the benefit of the government, to suffer 74 lashes, and to be permanently deprived of any government services.
Mazen Qaini was also sentenced to nine years in prison, confiscation of four hundred million rials in favor of the government, 74 lashes, and permanent deprivation of any government service, and Majid Ansari Pir Sarai was sentenced to nine years in prison, confiscation of three billion rials in favor of the government, 74 lashes, and permanent deprivation of any government service.
The announced sentence for Peyman Arghavani is seven years in prison, the confiscation of one billion and five hundred million rials in favor of the government, 74 lashes, and permanent deprivation of any government service.
In the last days of August, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, the leader of the Islamic Republic, agreed to the proposal of the head of the judiciary to form a special court with the presence of three judges from the Revolutionary Court to hear the case of "economic corruptors."
According to his order, the verdicts issued by this court, with the exception of the death penalty, are "final and binding."
Previously, the Supreme Court of Iran confirmed the death sentences of Vahid Mazloumin and Mohammad Esmaeil Ghasemi, two coin sellers who were convicted of "corruption on earth" following the US withdrawal from the JCPOA and fluctuations in the Iranian currency market.
The sentences of these two individuals were carried out despite the fact that Iranian law does not set any prohibitions or restrictions on the amount of buying and selling of coins and foreign currency.
Source: Radio Farda
