Expansion of Corruption to Charities and Judiciary; 13 Judicial and Government Officials Arrested in Semnan Province

Economic corruption in Iran is increasingly taking on larger dimensions, with media and officials revealing the infiltration of corruption into administrative and judicial systems, and even charities. In this context, the Chief Justice of Semnan Province has reported the arrest of 13 individuals working in or connected to the judiciary and government organizations in the province. The Deputy Minister of Economy stated that over 1,200 individuals have been convicted of money laundering, and soon suspicious charities involved in money laundering will be restricted. Hadi Khani emphasized that all 'charities' and 'interest-free loan funds' that do not comply with anti-money laundering requirements and standards will be treated as suspects and subjected to restrictions. Mohammad Jafar Abdollahi, the Chief Justice of Semnan Province, also reported an increase in corruption reports, stating that in the past nine months, 350 'corruption reports' have been received by the judiciary. Following the recent revelations of financial corruption in the Islamic Republic, two members of the Islamic Consultative Assembly also disclosed details about violations related to rice imports and the use of cheap currency by the 'rice mafia.' Previously, one of the largest corruption cases in the country was uncovered, with the 'Dabesh Tea' case being recorded as an unprecedented economic corruption case amounting to $3.7 billion. Earlier this year, Ahmad Tavakoli, a member of the Expediency Discernment Council, revealed in a letter to Ebrahim Raisi an unprecedented rent regarding the issuance of an import license for 13 million tons of essential goods to a 'newcomer' company classified as 'completely confidential.' Some experts say that in the Islamic Republic, regardless of who the head of government is, the organized corruption network and economic mafia in Iran continues its activities. The ongoing financial corruption in Iran; traces of the 'mafia' in the import of two million tons of rice with cheap currency. The price surge of ritual items for Yalda night; people have turned to buying 'by the piece.' Aftershocks of the billion-dollar 'Dabesh' corruption; the Ministry of Agriculture promised restrictions on tea imports. Corruption in the Islamic Republic; discovery of organized smuggling of animal feed inputs. Corruption in the Islamic Republic; the Tehran prosecutor announced the arrest of several managers of the 'Natural Resources' organization.