Mahdi Hashemi Sentenced to 50 Lashes

Tasnim News Agency reported, citing an anonymous judicial source, that Mahdi Hashemi, in addition to a prison sentence, has been sentenced to two instances of "asset restitution" and a monetary fine exceeding $10 million and nearly 2 billion tomans. This news agency, affiliated with the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, on Saturday, June 13, also reported the sentencing of Akbar Hashemi Rafsanjani's son to 50 lashes. Meanwhile, Mahmoud Alizadeh Tabatabai, Hashemi's lawyer, stated that a request for "retrial" has been submitted to the Supreme Court for his client. Gholamhossein Mohseni Ejei, the first deputy of the judiciary, announced on Thursday, June 11, that the initial ruling in Mahdi Hashemi's case has been confirmed, and the maximum sentence of 10 years in prison will be enforced against him. However, Tasnim News Agency reported on Saturday, citing an anonymous judicial source, that Mahdi Hashemi has been sentenced to 10 years in prison for "embezzlement and forgery," with asset restitution of 600 million tomans and a fine equivalent to double the restitution amount, totaling 1.2 billion tomans. According to this report, the "judicial authority" added: "Mahdi Hashemi has been sentenced to 10 years in prison for bribery, asset restitution of $5.2 million, and a fine equivalent to the same amount." Additionally, Mahdi Hashemi has been sentenced to permanent dismissal from public service and 50 lashes for "bribery" and to five years in prison due to "security issues." The judiciary spokesperson stated last Thursday that Mahdi Hashemi faced 12 charges in the indictment, but the court combined these charges. However, Mahmoud Alizadeh Tabatabai, Mahdi Hashemi's lawyer, stated on Saturday that his client had 12 charges but was acquitted of 10. According to Mr. Alizadeh Tabatabai, during court sessions, a "new charge contrary to the indictment" was raised against Mahdi Hashemi, increasing his total charges to three. According to IRIB News Agency, Mahdi Hashemi's lawyer said: "In court, it was claimed that funds from the Optimization Organization were spent on elections, which our official evidence based on reports from the Court of Audit and the Inspection Organization was not accepted, and only some statements were referenced to convict my client." Mr. Alizadeh Tabatabai also emphasized that the court ignored letters from the Ministry of Intelligence and the parliamentary investigation committee regarding the Statoil case. He stressed: "One of my client's charges was disrupting the economic system, from which he was acquitted, but a new charge of bribery was introduced, claiming that the amounts received by Abbas Yazdanpanah in the Statoil case were for Mahdi Hashemi, while we had provided documents refuting this claim." The Statoil case opened ten years ago in the U.S., where the possibility of bribery by this Norwegian company to a company headed by Abbas Yazdanpanah was raised. In the UK, he has not personally been charged in this regard. Previously, Mahdi Hashemi's lawyers had stated that based on reports from the Ministry of Intelligence during Mohammad Khatami's presidency and the parliamentary investigation committee of the sixth parliament, Mahdi Hashemi had committed "no violations" in the Statoil case. Mahdi Hashemi was arrested at the airport upon his return to Iran on September 24, 2012, after being informed of the charges and presenting himself to the prosecutor's office. He was released on bail on December 17, 2012, after nearly three months in custody.