Shahram Jazayeri-Arab
Encyclopedia
Shahram Jazayeri-Arab is an Iran
ian entrepreneur and businessman involved in a high-profile corruption case with several officials of the Islamic republic. He was also involved in fabrication of official documents. He had close ties with several high ranking reformist
clerics.
Jazayeri-Arab was taken into custody in 2001, at the age of 24, for a long-list of criminal activities involving bribery, illegal exports, forgery and massive embezzlement of state money and assets. At this time, as a student in Theran, his personal wealth was near $989,000,000. The cases of Jazayeri-Arab raised questions about the Iranian government's commitment to deal seriously with corruption. Jazayeri-Arab 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.
Jazayeri-Arab paid huge amounts of money to the Iranian members of parliament. He confessed to paying about $15,600,000 to Hadi Khamenei
, the Iran Supreme leader
’s reformist
brother, and about $5,800,000 to Mehdi Karroubi
, former Majlis
speaker without requesting anything in return. He was reportedly arrested after he sent a check worth $35,000,000 to the office of Supreme Leader of Iran
.
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. There was suspicion of governmental involvement in his scape as it was assumed unlikely to scape from such prisons without assistance. Hossein Shariatmadari
of Kayhan
newspaper wrote an article supporting the theory that those clerics were trying to cover-up the case. 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. On March 19, 2007 Iran's head of intelligence agency confirmed that Jazayeri-Arab was arrested in an unnamed location in the Arabian Peninsula
. His hiding location is said to be a remote village in Oman
and handed over to Iranian authorities.
In 2007, an Iranian newspaper reported that, unlike ordinary prisoners in Iran, Jazayeri-Arab had access to a laptop
and two mobile phone
s and is living in luxury in prison and continued his business works overseas.
In February 2007, Jazayeri-Arab was sentenced to 61,861,200 US dollars and 14 years of prison. In year 2008 he was seen several times in Dubai.
Iran
Iran , officially the Islamic Republic of Iran , is a country in Southern and Western Asia. The name "Iran" has been in use natively since the Sassanian era and came into use internationally in 1935, before which the country was known to the Western world as Persia...
ian entrepreneur and businessman involved in a high-profile corruption case with several officials of the Islamic republic. He was also involved in fabrication of official documents. He had close ties with several high ranking reformist
Iranian reformists
The Iranian reform movement , or the Reforms Front also known as 2nd of Khordad Front is a political movement by a group of political parties and organizations in Iran who supported Mohammad Khatami's plans to change the system to include more freedom and...
clerics.
Jazayeri-Arab was taken into custody in 2001, at the age of 24, for a long-list of criminal activities involving bribery, illegal exports, forgery and massive embezzlement of state money and assets. At this time, as a student in Theran, his personal wealth was near $989,000,000. The cases of Jazayeri-Arab raised questions about the Iranian government's commitment to deal seriously with corruption. Jazayeri-Arab 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.
Jazayeri-Arab paid huge amounts of money to the Iranian members of parliament. He confessed to paying about $15,600,000 to Hadi Khamenei
Hadi Khamenei
Hojatoleslam Hadi Khamenei is an influential Iranian reformist politician, mojtahed and linguist. He is a key member of the reformist Association of Combatant Clerics, and a former deputy of the Majlis of Iran representing a district in Tehran....
, the Iran Supreme leader
Supreme Leader of Iran
The Supreme Leader of Iran is the highest ranking political and religious authority in the Islamic Republic of Iran. The post was established by the constitution in accordance with the concept of Guardianship of the Islamic Jurists...
’s reformist
Iranian reformists
The Iranian reform movement , or the Reforms Front also known as 2nd of Khordad Front is a political movement by a group of political parties and organizations in Iran who supported Mohammad Khatami's plans to change the system to include more freedom and...
brother, and about $5,800,000 to Mehdi Karroubi
Mehdi Karroubi
Mehdi Karroubi is an influential Iranian reformist politician, democracy activist, mojtahed, and chairman of the National Trust Party. He was Chairman of the parliament from 1989 to 1992 and 2000 to 2004, and a presidential candidate in the 2005 and 2009 presidential elections.He is a founding...
, former Majlis
Majlis of Iran
The National Consultative Assembly of Iran , also called The Iranian Parliament or People's House, is the national legislative body of Iran...
speaker without requesting anything in return. He was reportedly arrested after he sent a check worth $35,000,000 to the office of Supreme Leader of Iran
Supreme Leader of Iran
The Supreme Leader of Iran is the highest ranking political and religious authority in the Islamic Republic of Iran. The post was established by the constitution in accordance with the concept of Guardianship of the Islamic Jurists...
.
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. There was suspicion of governmental involvement in his scape as it was assumed unlikely to scape from such prisons without assistance. Hossein Shariatmadari
Hossein Shariatmadari
Hossein Shariatmadari is the managing editor of Kayhan, a conservative Iranian newspaper.Before the Iranian Revolution in 1979, Shariatmadari was allegedly tortured by Iranian Shah's Police or SAVAK .Hossein Shariatmadari is the managing editor of Kayhan, a conservative Iranian newspaper.Before the...
of Kayhan
Kayhan
Kayhan is an influential newspaper in Iran. Directly under the supervision of the Office of the Supreme Leader, it is regarded to be "the most conservative Iranian newspaper."...
newspaper wrote an article supporting the theory that those clerics were trying to cover-up the case. Following the escape controversy, the head of Judiciary
Judicial system of Iran
A nationwide judicial system in Iran was first implemented and established by Abdolhossein Teymourtash under Reza Shah, with further changes during the second Pahlavi era....
, Mahmoud Hashemi Shahroudi
Mahmoud Hashemi Shahroudi
Grand Ayatollah Seyyed Mahmoud Hashemi Shahroudi is a moderate Iraqi-Iranian politician and Twelver Shi'a Marja. Hashemi Shahroudi was the leader of the Supreme Council for the Islamic Revolution in Iraq, which has caused objections to his serving as the head of Iran's Judiciary System upon his...
, fired a number of those responsible in the case, including the head of Evin prison
Evin Prison
Evin House of Detention is a prison in Iran, located in Evin, northwestern Tehran. It is noted for its political prisoners' wing, where prisoners have been held both before and after the 1979 Iranian Revolution...
and a few judges, and ordered an opening of a case in the military court for the judges. On March 19, 2007 Iran's head of intelligence agency confirmed that Jazayeri-Arab was arrested in an unnamed location in the Arabian Peninsula
Arabian Peninsula
The Arabian Peninsula is a land mass situated north-east of Africa. Also known as Arabia or the Arabian subcontinent, it is the world's largest peninsula and covers 3,237,500 km2...
. His hiding location is said to be a remote village in Oman
Oman
Oman , officially called the Sultanate of Oman , is an Arab state in southwest Asia on the southeast coast of the Arabian Peninsula. It is bordered by the United Arab Emirates to the northwest, Saudi Arabia to the west, and Yemen to the southwest. The coast is formed by the Arabian Sea on the...
and handed over to Iranian authorities.
In 2007, an Iranian newspaper reported that, unlike ordinary prisoners in Iran, Jazayeri-Arab had access to a laptop
Laptop
A laptop, also called a notebook, is a personal computer for mobile use. A laptop integrates most of the typical components of a desktop computer, including a display, a keyboard, a pointing device and speakers into a single unit...
and two mobile phone
Mobile phone
A mobile phone is a device which can make and receive telephone calls over a radio link whilst moving around a wide geographic area. It does so by connecting to a cellular network provided by a mobile network operator...
s and is living in luxury in prison and continued his business works overseas.
In February 2007, Jazayeri-Arab was sentenced to 61,861,200 US dollars and 14 years of prison. In year 2008 he was seen several times in Dubai.
See also
- Abbas Vaez-TabasiAbbas Vaez-TabasiAyatollah Abbas Vaez Tabasi is an influential member of the Expediency Discernment Council and the Assembly of Experts of the Islamic Republic of Iran.Furthermore, Vaez-Tabasi is the head of the Astan Quds Razavi Foundation...
- FraudFraudIn criminal law, a fraud is an intentional deception made for personal gain or to damage another individual; the related adjective is fraudulent. The specific legal definition varies by legal jurisdiction. Fraud is a crime, and also a civil law violation...
- Criminal lawCriminal lawCriminal law, is the body of law that relates to crime. It might be defined as the body of rules that defines conduct that is not allowed because it is held to threaten, harm or endanger the safety and welfare of people, and that sets out the punishment to be imposed on people who do not obey...