Trial of 19 Individuals for Allegedly Causing 2500 Billion Toman Damage to the Currency System

The trial of 19 individuals accused of 'disrupting the currency market' in Iran was held, with the judge accusing them of causing '2500 billion tomans' in damage to the 'currency system of the country'. According to Fars News Agency, the first session of this trial took place on Tuesday, September 6, in Branch 2 of the Special Court of the Revolutionary Court of Tehran, presided over by Judge Ahmad Zargar. The judge stated that the monetary value of the activities of these 19 individuals, which 'damaged the currency system of the country, is 2500 billion tomans'. He addressed the defendants, saying, 'You have taken actions that have created problems for the people, and on the other hand, the enemy will be pleased with this work.' Unlike previous practices, the judiciary is now disclosing the names of defendants in cases related to 'disruption in the currency market' and 'importing mobile phones with government currency'. According to the indictment, Ali Sadefi and Alireza Hassan-Zadeh are each accused of 'disrupting the currency system of the country on a large scale through the illegal buying and selling of 50 million dollars in a fictitious manner and abusing the national ID cards of multiple individuals'. Other defendants face similar charges with varying amounts. For instance, Alireza Luvini is accused of illegally buying and selling '22 million and 300 thousand dollars', Ali Rastgou Kaveki for '17 million dollars', and Navid Farshid and Alireza Pordeh for '15 million dollars'. The indictment also states that Mojtaba Noorouzi is accused of illegally buying and selling '11 million dollars', and Navid Zohrevand and Mohammad Hashemi for '10 million dollars' each. The amounts mentioned for Rahmat Mirzaei and Mohammad Ahmadi with similar accusations are eight million dollars. Mehdi Alipour, Gholamreza Haghighat-Pazuh, Shahin Bani-Jamali, and Ahmad Taheri are each accused of 'illegally selling' four million dollars. According to the indictment, Hamid Khosravi is accused of illegally buying and selling 'seven million dollars', Saeed Kazemi for 'five million dollars', and Mohammad Kazemi for 'approximately two million dollars'. According to ILNA News Agency, at the beginning of the session, one of the defendants 'rolled up his sleeves and showed his burn marks on his stomach and arm to the photographers'. He addressed the reporters, saying, 'Write about my condition so that people know I have three children and work with a motorcycle, and I have suffered 51% burns due to a suicide attempt.' Following fluctuations in the Iranian currency market, judiciary officials have reported the arrest of several individuals on charges of 'disrupting the economic system'. Meanwhile, Gholamhossein Mohseni Ejei, the judiciary spokesman, reported on August 29 the arrest of 100 individuals in recent cases involving currency, coins, and cars, stating that indictments have been issued for 32 individuals and sent to the Revolutionary Court in Tehran. Prior to this, the police chief of Tehran had announced that '850 individuals' had been summoned to the police for investigations related to violations in the currency and coin market. Previously, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, the Supreme Leader of the Islamic Republic, agreed to the proposal of the judiciary chief to establish a special court with three judges from the Revolutionary Court to address the cases of 'economic corruptors'. According to his directive, the rulings issued by this court, except for death sentences, are 'final and enforceable'. Ahmad Iraqi, the currency deputy of the Central Bank of Iran, is among those who have been arrested in recent weeks. The actions of the judiciary come at a time when many analysts have stated that 'security measures', while they may prevent a short-term increase in currency prices, will not have a long-term impact, just as currency prices continued to rise despite 'security measures in the previous administration'. Iran's economy has faced severe turbulence and tensions in recent months following Donald Trump's final decision to withdraw from the JCPOA. The rial has significantly lost its value against the dollar, the prices of coins and other goods have increased, and a wave of protests has emerged in several cities across Iran. Close associates of the Supreme Leader attribute the economic problems of Iran not to U.S. sanctions but to the 'weak' performance of the government and, according to them, 'exploitation by opportunistic individuals'. In recent weeks, reports have also emerged regarding 'violations' in the import of mobile phones, cars, and other goods that were imported with government currency, and judiciary officials have reported the arrest of some individuals in this regard. In this context, on Tuesday, September 5, a court session was held for three individuals accused of receiving government currency for importing mobile phones but either not importing the phones or selling them at higher prices.