Judiciary Denies Release of Main Accused in 'Ukrainian Plane Case'

The Judiciary, in response to statements made by the lawyer of several families of victims of the downed Ukrainian flight, who claimed that 'the main accused has been released,' asserted that 'the accused remains in custody'; a repeated claim without evidence that has a history in the Judiciary. According to the media center of the Islamic Republic Judiciary, the main accused in the 'Ukrainian Plane Case' has been sentenced not only to imprisonment but also to pay blood money to the heirs of those who have demanded it, and the court has also imposed supplementary penalties on this accused. The announcement stated that based on the ruling issued by the primary court, the main accused has been sentenced to three years of imprisonment for involvement in the quasi-intentional murder of the passengers of the Ukrainian plane. The Judiciary also announced that this accused has been sentenced to an additional ten years of imprisonment 'due to the cancellation of the issued order and considering the extensive effects and consequences of this action.' Mahmoud Alizadeh Tabatabai, the lawyer for several families of the victims of the Ukrainian flight shot down by the Revolutionary Guards, stated yesterday that 'the main accused has been released after serving half of his sentence and considering that the ruling has not been finalized,' and complaints against the officials of the aviation sector, military, and political authorities have also 'expired' and a decision to dismiss the prosecution has been issued. The release of well-known and controversial prisoners and the Judiciary's insistence on their continued imprisonment is not a new phenomenon and has been repeated in the past. One example from this year is Akbar Tabari. Several months ago, reports emerged about 'leave connected to release' for Akbar Tabari, a defendant in a corruption case within the Judiciary, and the conversion of his bail from '10 billion tomans' to '300 million tomans.' However, the public relations of the Prisons Organization and the media center of the Judiciary denied this, stating that he is 'serving his sentence in Evin Prison.' The head of the Prisons Organization, however, announced in a television program that Akbar Tabari is temporarily outside of prison by judicial authority's decision. The irregular release and long-term leaves for certain prisoners with ties to power are points of criticism from the public and political and social activists, while there are many examples of political and ideological prisoners being deprived of any leave for years, and in some cases, for decades. In another case, Mehdi Hashemi, the son of Akbar Hashemi Rafsanjani, who was sentenced to ten years in prison, has utilized long-term leaves and was practically free, ultimately obtaining 'conditional release' after serving seven years. Mohammad Ali Najafi, the former mayor of Tehran, who was imprisoned for the murder of his second wife, Mitra Ostad, is another individual who has faced repeated criticism for his freedom. Najafi was ultimately released from prison this September after posting bail. Although Najafi managed to obtain the consent of the heirs of the victim, according to the penal laws of the Islamic Republic, in such cases where the murderer successfully gains the consent of the 'heirs of the blood,' he must still serve at least 'six and a half years of imprisonment' concerning the 'public aspect of the crime.' Canada continues to pursue the case of the destruction of the Ukrainian plane by the Guards. Behrouz Rahbari reports from Toronto. Khosrow Malek: The court handling the charges of the Ukrainian plane crash was a ridiculous show; we have complaints against senior officials of the regime. Reza Moridi: The destruction of the Ukrainian plane was definitely carried out under the orders of the highest officials of the Islamic Republic. The families' pursuit of justice continues in the fourth anniversary of the downing of the Ukrainian plane; report by Behrouz Rahbari. Justice in the style of the Islamic Republic; the lawyer of the families of the victims of the Ukrainian plane: 'the main accused' is free.