Khaavari Sentenced to 30 Years in Absentia

The head of the Tehran Revolutionary Court announced that Mahmoud Reza Khaavari, former head of Bank Melli and a defendant in the infamous "three thousand billion toman embezzlement case," has been sentenced in absentia to 30 years in prison and a fine of three million dollars. On Saturday, December 9, Mousa Ghazanfarpour stated in an interview with ILNA news agency that Khaavari was convicted in Branch 26 of the Tehran Revolutionary Court. According to the report, Khaavari was sentenced to 20 years for "disruption of the country's economic system" and 10 years for "taking bribes." Ghazanfarpour noted that the former CEO of Bank Melli was also fined an amount equivalent to the bribe of three million dollars. Additionally, ISNA news agency reported that the prosecutor's office plans to sell Khaavari's remaining assets in Iran and confiscate part of them to cover his fines and restitution. This ruling was issued in absentia and will be reviewed in the appeals court if Khaavari contests it. The hearing for Khaavari's case was held on Tuesday, November 21, without his presence. He left Iran in 2011 and has been residing in Canada since then. In the case known as the "three thousand billion toman embezzlement case," the first defendant, Meh Afarid Khosravi, was executed. During the trial sessions, the names of the then-managers of Bank Melli and Bank Saderat were frequently mentioned. However, after Khaavari's escape, Mohammad Jahromi, the then-CEO of Bank Saderat, was also not summoned to this court. Judiciary officials have announced that a ruling has been issued for Jahromi and forty other defendants in another court. However, the details of this ruling have not been disclosed. Some opposition websites have suggested that the reason for Jahromi not being tried in the initial court is his background, including serving as the Executive Deputy of the Guardian Council and Minister of Labor in Mahmoud Ahmadinejad's first government. Previously, some legal experts had stated that Khaavari's absentia trial in Iran has a "symbolic aspect" and since he is not in Iran and may not have significant assets there, holding a trial and issuing such a ruling lacks enforcement guarantees. Concurrently with the news of Khaavari's court ruling, some social media users claim that he has been murdered in Canada. In response to these reports, ISNA news agency wrote on Saturday that "investigations conducted by the judiciary in this regard have not yielded results regarding the denial or confirmation of Khaavari's death." Khaavari's family or Canadian officials have not commented on this matter.