Sentences of Imprisonment and Flogging Issued for Five Currency Traders in Special Courts

The third branch of the special court for dealing with economic offenders and disruptors sentenced five currency traders, accused of 'seizing intervention currencies in the market,' to imprisonment, fines, and flogging. The court explained that these individuals 'collaborated with several currency market brokers and misused the national ID cards of various individuals (in a nominal manner) to seize the intervention currencies in the market, causing an increase in the prices of currency and essential goods.' The identities of these five individuals are stated as Ehsan Safavi Amir, Behzad Bahrami, Mazen Qayeni, Majid Ansari, and Peyman Arghavani. According to the special court's ruling, Ehsan Safavi Amir and Behzad Bahrami were each sentenced to 10 years of prison and, as a financial penalty, the confiscation of two billion rials obtained 'illegally' for the benefit of the government, along with 74 lashes and a permanent ban from any government services. Additionally, Mazen Qayeni received a sentence of 9 years in prison, confiscation of four hundred million rials for the benefit of the government, 74 lashes, and a permanent ban from any government services, while Majid Ansari Pir Sarai was sentenced to 9 years in prison, confiscation of three billion rials for the benefit of the government, 74 lashes, and a permanent ban from any government services. The ruling for Peyman Arghavani was also seven years in prison, confiscation of one billion five hundred million rials for the benefit of the government, 74 lashes, and a permanent ban from any government services. Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, the leader of the Islamic Republic, approved the proposal of the head of the judiciary to form a special court with three judges from the revolutionary court to address the case of 'economic offenders' at the end of August. According to his order, the rulings issued from this court, except for death sentences, are 'final and enforceable.' Previously, the Iranian Supreme Court confirmed the death sentences of Vahid Mazloomian and Mohammad Ismail Qasemi, two coin sellers who were sentenced to 'corruption on earth' after the US withdrawal from the JCPOA and fluctuations in the Iranian currency market. The sentences for these two were executed while there are no prohibitions or restrictions in Iranian laws regarding the amount of buying and selling coins and currency.