Prisoner Files Complaint Against Reza Zarrab for 'Sexual Assault'

Reza Zarrab, an Iranian-Turkish businessman, claims he has been threatened with death in prison for cooperating with U.S. authorities. At the same time, a fellow inmate has accused Zarrab of sexual assault. Last month, Zarrab accepted seven charges against him, including conspiracy, violating U.S. sanctions, bank fraud, money laundering, and bribing a prison guard for alcohol and mobile phone access in prison. He stated last Wednesday that he is cooperating with U.S. officials regarding the charges. According to Reuters, Zarrab told U.S. prosecutors on Thursday that he was transferred from a federal prison in New York to another location after being threatened with murder by another inmate. Zarrab said, 'I came face to face with the person who intended to kill me.' In court, Zarrab mentioned that the inmate pulled out a knife and said, 'I have orders to kill you for cooperating (with U.S. officials).' He testified that after this threat, he was moved from the Brooklyn jail to an FBI detention center. On the same day that Zarrab claimed he was threatened with death, one of his fellow inmates filed a complaint stating that Zarrab had assaulted him. Fawzi Jaber, a 62-year-old Ivorian national, was sentenced in July this year for drug trafficking and arms smuggling for the FARC guerrilla organization in Colombia. The Czech Republic had extradited Jaber to the U.S. In his complaint, Jaber wrote that Zarrab had befriended him and even hired a lawyer for him and sent money to his family in Africa. Jaber's complaint states that due to Zarrab's influence in prison, he was eventually moved to Zarrab's cell; there, according to Jaber, Zarrab spoke of his desire for sexual relations with both men and women, which ultimately led to the assault. Zarrab's lawyer has vehemently denied these allegations. Jaber stated that he could not defend himself due to Zarrab's physical strength. Zarrab's trial began last Wednesday, and the last session ended last Thursday afternoon, New York time. In court, Zarrab also mentioned that after confessing to his charges, assets belonging to 18 or 19 individuals, some of whom he does not know, have been seized. On December 9, Zarrab confessed in court that Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, the then Prime Minister of Turkey, had authorized the circumvention of sanctions against Iran. The U.S. prosecution has accused Zarrab, born in Iran, of helping the Iranian government and institutions move hundreds of millions of dollars in assets to evade sanctions between 2010 and 2015. Zarrab also admitted that 'Ziraat Bank', 'Vakif Bank' (Vakifbank), and Halk Bank of Turkey were involved in circumventing Iran's sanctions through the mediation of Turkish officials, allegations that President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan and other Turkish officials have denied. Mehmet Hakan Atilla, the director of Halk Bank, is also imprisoned in the U.S. and has been tried in New York for violating U.S. sanctions. While Atilla has denied his charges, Zarrab stated that the Halk Bank director was cooperating with him. In the Iran sanctions case, nine individuals have been charged by the U.S. prosecution. Zarrab and Atilla are among those detained in the U.S. In this context, Zarrab claims he had paid a bribe for his release from prison in Turkey. Turkey is investigating the bank accounts of 'Iranians with high balances'. Erdoğan stated that U.S. courts cannot prosecute Turkey. The Istanbul prosecutor has ordered the 'seizure of Reza Zarrab's assets'.