Shahram Jazayeri-Arab
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Shahram Jazayeri-Arab is an Iranian entrepreneur and businessman involved in a high-profile corruption case with Iranian government. He was also involved in fabricating official documents. He had close ties with several high ranking reformist[1] clerics.[2][3]
Jazayeri was taken into custody in 2001, at the age of 29, for a long-list of criminal activities involving bribery, illegal exports, forgery and massive embezzlement of state money and assets.[4] The cases of Shahram Jazayeri raised questions about the Iranian government's desire to deal seriously with corruption. Jazayeri was convicted in 2002 in a major corruption case involving 50 defendants, many of them sons of prominent clerics. In September 2004, his 27-year prison sentence was partially overturned, and he was occasionally released from prison on leave.[5]
Jazayeri-Arab paid huge amounts of money to the former reformist held parliament members to influence their decisions. He has confessed to have paid about $600,000 to Hadi Khamenei, the Iran Supreme leader’s reformist brother, and about $400,000 to Mehdi Karroubi, former Majlis speaker.[1] Reportedly, he was arrested after he sent a large check to Iran Supreme leader’s office. Jazayeri-Arab's asset, according to him, is more than 180 million dollars.
In 21 February 2007, Iran's Special Judicial Complex for economic affairs declared that Shahram Jazayeri-Arab has escaped, while being transferred to a court-assigned financial expert committee.[6] Hossein Shariatmadari of Kayhan newspaper has written an article supporting the theory that those clerics were trying to cover-up the case.[7] Following the escape controversy, the head of Judiciary, Mahmoud Hashemi Shahroudi, fired a number of those responsible in the case, including the head of Evin prison and a few judges, and ordered an opening of a case in the military court for the judges.[8] On March 19, 2007 Iran's head of intelligence agency confirmed that Shaharam Jazayeri-Arab was arrested in an unnamed location in Arabian Peninsula. His hiding location is said to be a remote village in Oman.[9]
Contrary to ordinary prisoners in Iran, Jazayeri-Arab had access to laptop and two mobile phones in prison and continued his business works overseas.[10]
In February 2007, Jazayeri-Arab was sentenced to 61,861,200 US dollars and 14 years of prison. [11]
[edit] Notes
- ^ a b :: ansarnews ::
- ^ [1]
- ^ Irna
- ^ Iran Daily - National - 02/24/07
- ^ RFE/RL Iran Report
- ^ Special Judicial Complex declares Jazayeri Arab's escape - Irna
- ^ Iraneconomist.com
- ^ بركناریهای گسترده در دستگاه قضايي بهخاطر فرار شهرام
- ^ MehrNews.com - Iran, world, political, sport, economic news and headlines
- ^ ::Noandish::ستون "جهت اطلاع" روزنامه جمهوري اسلامي 5شنبه
- ^ :: حیات - 14 سال حبس برای شهرام جزایری عرب ::
