Death Sentences Issued for Two in Fars Province on Charges of 'Disrupting the Banking System'

The judiciary of Fars Province announced on Tuesday, November 6, that Dariush Ebrahimi Bilandi and Younes Bahai-Dini have been sentenced to death for 'organized and gang-related disruption of Iran's banking and economic network' amounting to 154 billion and 461 million tomans. According to the official news agency of the judiciary, this ruling was issued in the 'Special Court for the Fight Against Economic Corruption' in Fars Province. Additionally, Mohammad Bahai-Dini was sentenced to 10 years, Davood Katabi to 7 years in prison, and Iman Pahlevani, Morteza Katabi-Nejad, and Reza Naderi each received 5 years in prison. The Fars judiciary report did not mention the details of the charges against these individuals. Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, the Supreme Leader of the Islamic Republic, had previously agreed to the proposal of the head of the judiciary to form a special court with three revolutionary court judges to address the cases of 'economic corruptors.' According to his order, the rulings issued by this court, except for death sentences, are 'final and enforceable.' While these courts expedite the examination of the defendants' charges, they simultaneously deny the defendants the right to appeal, which contradicts Iran's judicial laws and has faced criticism from legal experts. Meanwhile, several sellers of coins and currencies have been sentenced to death in this special court, and the death sentences of Vahid Mazloomin and Mohammad Ismail Qasemi have been confirmed by the country's Supreme Court. The actions of the judiciary come at a time when many analysts have previously stated that 'security measures,' while they may prevent the rise in currency prices in the short term, will have no long-term effect, just as currency prices continued to rise despite 'security measures in the previous government.' Iran's economy has faced severe turbulence and tensions in recent months following the announcement of the U.S. President's decision to withdraw from the JCPOA. The rial has significantly lost its value against the dollar, and the prices of coins and essential goods have also increased.