Iran's Prosecutor: It is Unlikely Babak Zanjani's Death Sentence Will Be Reduced

Mohammad Jafar Montazeri, the Attorney General of Iran, stated on Thursday, December 23, that Babak Zanjani's death sentence has been 'final and definitive' and he considers it 'unlikely' that this sentence will be 'reduced.' He emphasized that clarifying the status of Zanjani's 'debts' is more important than his execution. In an interview with Young Journalists Club, Montazeri noted that Zanjani's 'debt' is a 'huge amount' in which 'all people have a share.' This judicial official deemed the 'restoration of the rights of all people' in this case as 'necessary' alongside affirming Zanjani's death sentence as 'definitive.' The Attorney General added that Zanjani's death sentence has been finalized by the Supreme Court and is unlikely to be reduced. Babak Zanjani, who was responsible for selling Iran's oil during Mahmoud Ahmadinejad's presidency and the peak of sanctions related to the nuclear program, is accused of failing to return approximately 2.5 billion euros from oil sales to the government. Zanjani was sentenced to death for 'corruption on earth' during a case that led to his arrest in 2013, and this sentence was confirmed by the Supreme Court on December 4 of last year. After his arrest, he repeatedly promised to pay his debts, but many of these promises have not been fulfilled according to responsible officials. Ali Larijani, the Speaker of the Parliament, recently stated that if Zanjani had cooperated with the government to return the assets, he would not have received the death sentence and 'would not have ended up in this situation.' According to Larijani, 'the system cannot remain idle. Various opportunities were given for him to return his debts. He made some statements but ultimately could not follow through.' Some officials in Hassan Rouhani's government, including Bijan Zanganeh, the Minister of Oil, have also said that Zanjani's execution 'removes the black box' of the case and closes the path for his debt repayment. Zanganeh also mentioned on December 20 that based on the expert opinion of the Ministry of Oil, nearly 2 trillion tomans of Zanjani's debt has been paid. In the prosecutor's indictment, Zanjani was accused of having paid only '160 million euros' of the 2.7 billion euros he was obligated to pay to the oil company, spending the rest on personal matters. With interest calculated on his debt, he owes the National Iranian Oil Company 23 trillion tomans. This oil defendant claims to own more than 70 companies. In this context, Zanganeh: 'Of the 3.5 billion dollars owed by Zanjani, 2 trillion tomans have been paid.' Ali Larijani: 'If Babak Zanjani had cooperated, he would not have ended up in this situation.' Zanjani's death sentence has been confirmed by the Supreme Court. Statements from 'an informed source' regarding 'the cancellation of Babak Zanjani's sentence' have been denied. Babak Zanjani's lawyer: 'A foreign state bank is ready to pay bail for Zanjani.'