Iran: Two Executed for Economic Corruption

Iran Human Rights (Nov 14, 2018): Two Prisoners were hanged on economic corruption charges in Tehran this morning. They had been sentenced to death by the newly established Special Court on the Economic Corruption.

Iran Human Rights (IHR) strongly condemns today's executions for the charges of economic corruption. Mahmood Amiry-Moghaddam, the Director and spokesperson for the organization, said: "The death penalty is an inhumane punishment, and the international law prohibits death sentence for economic corruption, which is not considered as the most serious crimes. Besides, the prisoners were sentenced to death as a result of an unfair trial in an illegal Court. The primary purpose of the execution of these two people is to create fear in society, not to combat corruption. Iranian authorities know that the system, with corrupt organs such as the Judiciary and the Supreme leader who has absolute power and zero accountability, are the main sources of corruption in the country. We call on the Iranian authorities to put an end to the policy of using the death penalty as a solution to all its problems".

According to a statement by Tehran Prosecutor's Office, this morning (Tuesday, November 14), two prisoners were executed in Tehran.

The two prisoners were sentenced to death on charges of "corruption on earth" through the formation of a network of corruption disturbing the country's currency through illicit and large-scale smuggling of gold coins.

The prisoners were identified as Vahid Mazloumin and Mohammad Esmaeel Ghasemi.

Vahid Mazloumin, dubbed the "sultan of coins" by media, a trader accused of manipulating the currency market, according to Mizan, the news site of the Iranian judiciary.

Mazloumin was allegedly caught with two tons of gold coins, according to the Iranian Students' News Agency (ISNA).

The second man was part of Mazloumin's network and had been involved in the sale of gold coins, Mizan reported.

The executions were carried out in the presence of a number of people in Tehran, said the report.

The Tehran Prison Statement did not mention the exact location of the two prisoners' execution.

Death penalty on the charges of economic corruption in Iran is not unprecedented. Mahafari Amir Khosravi was executed on such charges in 2014.

Several people have recently been sentenced to death for economic corruption. Among them, Hamid Bagheri Dermiani, sentenced to death in preliminary hearings, and Dariush Ebrahimian Bilandi and Younes Baha'd-dini, sentenced to death on similar charges in Fars province.

Source: Iran Human Rights, November 14, 2018

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