Shahram Jazayeri

Shahram Jazayeri (Persian: شهرام جزایری‎) is an Iranian businessman and trader who was involved in a high-profile corruption case.[2]

Shahram Jazayeri
Jazayeri in 2007
Born
Shahram Jazaery Arab

(1972-09-11) 11 September 1972
Tehran, Iran
NationalityIranian
OccupationBusinessman
Net worth~$60 million (2007 official est.)[1]
Websiteshahramjazayeri.com

Early life and education

He started the business by selling ice cream in his youth. Jazayeri was a student of dentistry in Kerman.[3]

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.[3]

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.[3] 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.[2]

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.[1] 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.[2]

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]

References
  1. "Newsline", Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty, 27 February 2007
  2. Jaseb, Hossein; Kalantari, Hashem (26 May 2008), Evans, Catherine (ed.), "Iran businessman must pay $145 mln in graft case", Reuters, retrieved 3 May 2020
  3. Adelkhah, Fariba (2015), The Thousand and One Borders of Iran: Travel and Identity, Routledge, p. 91, ISBN 9781317418979
  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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