Iffat Marashi: Mahdi's Verdict is 'Fraud and Deceit'

Iffat Marashi, the wife of Akbar Hashemi Rafsanjani and mother of Mahdi Hashemi Rafsanjani, has described the Islamic Republic's court ruling against her son as 'fraud and deceit.' On Sunday, June 31, in response to a question from the Tasnim news agency about her opinion on Mahdi Hashemi's verdict, she stated: 'Mr. Hashemi's ruling means fraud, fraud, deceit.' The wife of the head of the Expediency Discernment Council of Iran emphasized that the ruling issued for her son is 'not a ruling.' A day before these statements, Gholamhossein Mohseni Ejei, the spokesperson of the judiciary, announced that Mahdi Hashemi's 10-year prison sentence is in the prosecutor's office and at the execution stage. Mr. Mohseni Ejei also mentioned that Mahdi Hashemi's sentence has been increased from 15 years to 25 years during the appeals process, but according to the new Islamic penal code, he must serve 10 years in prison. The final verdict for Mahdi Hashemi was announced on June 21, under which he was convicted of charges such as embezzlement, bribery, and security crimes. According to the judiciary spokesperson, Mr. Hashemi was initially sentenced to a total of 15 years in prison for embezzlement coupled with forgery, bribery, and security crimes, receiving 7 years, 5 years, and 3 years respectively. However, the appeals court increased these sentences to 10 years for embezzlement, 10 years for bribery, and 5 years for security crimes, totaling 25 years. Nevertheless, under Islamic penal law, only the most severe punishment will be executed, which is the 10 years in prison. Iffat Marashi rarely comments on political matters, but her few statements have typically been controversial. For instance, in 2009, during the 10th presidential election, she urged people to 'hit the streets' in case of 'fraud' in the results. In this context, Mahdi Hashemi was also sentenced to '50 lashes.' The judiciary spokesperson confirmed that Mahdi Hashemi's ruling has gone to the execution stage.