Federal Prosecutor of New York Says He Was 'Fired' by the President of the United States

Preet Bharara, the federal prosecutor of New York, known for various cases including those related to Iran and fighting corruption on Wall Street, stated that he was fired by Donald Trump after refusing to resign from his position. Bharara, 48, announced this news on his Twitter account on March 12. He said, 'I did not resign. I was just fired a few moments ago.' He added that serving as the New York prosecutor was 'the greatest honor of his professional life.' The U.S. Department of Justice also confirmed that Preet Bharara is no longer in his previous position, although it did not provide further details on the matter. Previously, Jeff Sessions, the U.S. Attorney General, had asked the remaining 46 prosecutors appointed by former President Barack Obama to resign. Typically, a new president in the United States replaces the 93 prosecutors working across the country, but this process usually takes place over a longer period. Three months ago, Mr. Trump, who was still the president-elect and had not officially taken office, had asked Mr. Bharara to remain in his position, which he had accepted at that time. Preet Bharara is associated with several high-profile cases; he was once featured on the cover of Time magazine for his case against corruption on Wall Street. He is also remembered for cases related to Iran and Turkey, including the case of Reza Zarrab and several Iranian-Turkish citizens accused of circumventing sanctions against Tehran. The Zarrab case not only connects to Tehran but also to several officials in the Ankara government; Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan had previously accused Richard Berman, the judge, and Bharara, the prosecutor in the Zarrab case, of being linked to Fethullah Gülen, an opposition figure residing in the U.S., whom Turkey considers responsible for the failed coup in July. However, the U.S. government has refused to extradite Gülen due to what it called a lack of credible evidence. The New York court has also denied requests for Zarrab's bail, stating that the charges against him are 'serious.' Preet Bharara was also the prosecutor in the case of Mansour Arbabsiar and the allegations against the Islamic Republic regarding 'planning to assassinate the Saudi ambassador' in Washington.