Shahram Jazayeri

Shahram Jazayeri (Persian: شهرام جزایری‎) is an Iranian businessman who was involved in a high-profile corruption case.[3]

Shahram Jazayeri
Jazayeri in 2007
Born
Shahram Jazaery Arab[1]

c. 1970/1971 (age 48–50)[1]
NationalityIranian
OccupationBusinessman
Net worth~$60 million (2007 official est.)[2]
Criminal charge
  • Bribery
  • Fraud
Escaped20 February 2007
Escape end18 March 2007
Date apprehended
2001–2014
Imprisoned atEvin Prison

Early life and education

He started the business by selling ice cream in his youth. Jazayeri was a student of dentistry in Kerman.[1]

Career

Jazayeri "accrued unimaginable riches during a short time in the 2000s through corruption and connections with influential officials."[4] He owned some 500 import-export companies and through use of shell corporations, made track of his activities difficult; while he made connections in the Parliament of Iran at the same time, where he was present as an economic expert in some hearings.[1]

Trial and imprisonment

Jazayeri was arrested in 2001 while boarding a commercial flight to the United Arab Emirates, when he was initially prosecuted for influence peddling and providing fake passport for an Afghan citizen.[1] Charges against him included: bribery totaling 38 billion rials ($4.75 million), fraud to obtain loans amounting to 811 billion rials ($101 million), and setting up bogus companies.[5] On 18 November 2002, Jazayeri was sentenced to 27 years of imprisonment.[6] In September 2004, the supreme court partially overturned the conviction[7] and sent back his case to the lower court awaiting trial.[8] The court of appeal in 2008, reduced his sentence to 14 years and ruled that he must pay $145 million to the Iranian government, including $48 million to the state-owned Bank Melli Iran.[3]

In 2007, an Iranian newspaper reported that, unlike ordinary prisoners in Iran, Jazayeri had access to a laptop and two mobile phones and is living in luxury in prison and continued his business works overseas.[9]

Escape from prison

Jazayeri escaped from guards during a transfer on 20 February 2007, and reportedly fled the country afterwards.[2] He was arrested by Ministry of Intelligence on 18 March 2007, in "one of the countries on the Persian Gulf".[10] Iranian media reported that four senior officials in the judicial system were fired for his escape.[3]

Release from prison and later arrests

He was released on 3 October 2014.[11] Jazayeri was detained again in Mashhad on 6 August 2016, charged with "disturbing public peace."[12] On 29 July 2018, he was once again arrested while hidden in a consignment of lentils in an attempt to illegally cross the Bazargan border. A prosecutor said he may face a "relatively long-term imprisonment" in January 2019.[13][14]

gollark: NONE are safe.
gollark: AHA!
gollark: Wait, no, I *can* probably make loopback work.
gollark: Ugh, I just won't.
gollark: æ pulseaudio.

References
  1. Adelkhah, Fariba (2015), The Thousand and One Borders of Iran: Travel and Identity, Routledge, p. 91, ISBN 9781317418979
  2. "Newsline", Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty, 27 February 2007
  3. Jaseb, Hossein; Kalantari, Hashem (26 May 2008), Evans, Catherine (ed.), "Iran businessman must pay $145 mln in graft case", Reuters, retrieved 3 May 2020
  4. Khosravi, Shahram (2017), Precarious Lives: Waiting and Hope in Iran, University of Pennsylvania Press, p. 238–239, doi:10.9783/9780812293692, ISBN 9780812248876
  5. "Corruption Watch", Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty, 2 (4), 31 January 2002
  6. "Iran Report", Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty, 5 (43), 25 November 2002
  7. "Newsline", Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty, 27 September 2004
  8. "Newsline", Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty, 4 October 2004
  9. Washingtontimes: Financial criminal captivates Tehran
  10. "Newsline", Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty, 19 March 2007
  11. Niayesh, Umid (3 October 2014), "Iranian multi-billionaire released after 11 years in prison", Trend News Agency
  12. "The Rough Road to Stockholm: Iranian tycoon Shahram Jazayeri is detained once again", Iranian Diplomacy, 11 August 2016
  13. "Shahram Jazayeri may face long-term imprisonment", Tehran Times, 5 January 2019
  14. "Iran arrests corrupt businessman before leaving the country", Mehr News Agency, 29 July 2018
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