Marjan Sheikh Al-Islami Denies All Charges in Petrochemical Case

Marjan Sheikh Al-Islami Al Agha, the sixth defendant in Iran's petrochemical case, published a note on Saturday, March 16, rejecting all charges against her, including financial corruption, money laundering, and disruption of the economic system, claiming her innocence. She criticized the 'heavy media atmosphere' and 'numerous rumors' against her, emphasizing that her companies' activities in Iran and Turkey were 'legal' and had 'nothing to do with money laundering or earning income from sanctions.' She also stated that she was 'not involved at all' in the buying and selling of petrochemical products and therefore 'did not receive any commission.' Sheikh Al-Islami stressed that she has 'never had any case in Iran' for which she was 'pursued' and mentioned that during her eight years living in Canada, she has traveled to Iran several times. Her note was published just one week after the second court session regarding the case known as corruption in the petrochemical sector from 2010 to 2013. Sheikh Al-Islami's name appears in this case, which has 14 defendants, as the sixth defendant and former CEO of the trading companies 'Deniz' and 'Hatra Trade.' However, during the second court session, the prosecutor referred to her as a 'main partner of Reza Hamzehlou,' the first defendant in this case. Nevertheless, Sheikh Al-Islami reiterated in her note that she legally held the CEO position of 'Hatra' and 'Deniz' until 2014, emphasizing that 'the activities of these companies were completely legal and had nothing to do with money laundering or earning income from sanctions.' The indictment published in Iranian media includes charges against Marjan Sheikh Al-Islami, such as 'participation in major disruption of the country's economic system' and 'obtaining property through illegitimate means amounting to seven million and 65 thousand and 529 euros and eight million and 710 thousand and 384 dollars.' However, Sheikh Al-Islami firmly rejected the charge of disrupting the economic system and stated that she learned about the approximately 7 million euros charge 'through media publications' and does not accept it. Iranian judicial authorities have not yet responded to Sheikh Al-Islami's note, and the exact date of the third court session for this case has not been determined. A few days ago, Abbas Jafari Dolatabadi, the Tehran prosecutor, announced that 'this case has an open section and is a heavy case,' stating that if Sheikh Al-Islami 'comes to Iran or is pursued through Interpol, she is among the main defendants of the case.' On Wednesday, Mohammad Jafar Montazeri, the Attorney General of the country, stated that a 'judicial order has been issued and communicated to Interpol for the 'return of Sheikh Al-Islami' from Canada,' adding, 'The problem we have is with Interpol and countries that are hostile to us.' Over the past week, the issue of the petrochemical case and one of its defendants, Marjan Sheikh Al-Islami, has received extensive coverage in media and social networks. Sheikh Al-Islami referred to the 'derogatory and direct and indirect defamations' and 'labels' that have 'caused her and her children's peace and security to be disrupted' during this time, stating that she will pursue these matters legally.