Two-Year Prison Sentence Confirmed for Individual Accused of 'Collaboration with the Hostile U.S. Government'

The Tehran prosecutor announced the confirmation of a two-year prison sentence for an individual accused of 'collaboration with the hostile U.S. government.' The official news agency of the Iranian judiciary (Mizan) reported on Tuesday (September 11) that Abbas Jafari Dolatabadi made these remarks at a meeting of the Tehran prosecutor's deputy council. Mr. Jafari Dolatabadi did not mention the full name of the individual but referred to him as 'Alireza A.' According to him, this individual was sentenced to two years in prison for 'collaboration with the hostile U.S. government,' and the ruling was upheld in the appeals court. The Tehran prosecutor introduced this case as one of the cases in what he called the 'sphere of influence.' Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, the leader of the Islamic Republic, has repeatedly warned about what he calls 'U.S. influence in Iran' following the Vienna nuclear agreement, while Hassan Rouhani and his close associates have also warned against the 'partisan use of the term influence.' On September 4 of this year, Mr. Jafari Dolatabadi also announced the confirmation of ten-year prison sentences for an American citizen, two Iranian-Americans, and a Lebanese resident in the U.S. in the appeals court. He stated that the appeals of Zhao Wang, Siamak and Baqer Namazi, and Nizar Zakka were rejected in the appeals court. Zhao Wang, a Chinese-born American, was sentenced to ten years for 'collaboration with foreign governments,' while Siamak and Baqer Namazi and Nizar Zakka were sentenced to ten years each for 'collaboration with a foreign government' and 'espionage.' The U.S. government has protested against these rulings and the detention of several dual-nationality Iranians, warning its citizens about traveling to Iran. The Mizan news agency also reported that the Tehran prosecutor announced on Tuesday the absent trial of Mahmoud Khavari, the former CEO of Bank Melli Iran, who is mentioned as one of the accused in the three thousand billion tomans embezzlement case. Jafari Dolatabadi stated without details that 'the absent trial of Khavari has been placed on the agenda of one of the branches of the Islamic Revolutionary Courts in Tehran.' Mr. Khavari, who held dual citizenship, fled to Canada after resigning from his position, following which the Central Bank of the Islamic Republic of Iran banned the use of dual nationals as managers in Iranian banks. In recent years, some conservatives and judiciary officials have referred to Iranian officials with 'dual citizenship' as one of the most important channels of 'influence' in Iran and have repeatedly called for their dismissal.