TEHRAN, Iran (AP) — Iran’s judiciary said Tuesday that it commuted a death sentence for a tycoon to 20 years in prison after he returned around $2.1 billion in assets from illegally selling oil abroad, the official IRNA news agency reported. Babak Zanjani, 48, was sentenced to death in 2016 over a number of charges, including money laundering, forgery and fraud that disrupted the country’s economy. IRNA quoted judiciary spokesman Asghar Jahangir as saying that an appeal for amnesty by Zanjani was reviewed and his death sentence was “commuted to a 20-year prison term after approval by the Supreme Leader.“ Ayatollah Ali Khamenei has the final say on all state matters and occasionally issues pardons. Jahangir said as part of Zanjani’s 2016 sentence, he had the right to an amnesty or commutation of his death sentence if he returned the assets, compensated for damages and expressed regret for wrongdoing. The spokesman said that Zanjani cooperated with the judiciary to locate the assets abroad in recent years while he was in prison, and all the money was returned. |
MLB extends Draft League through 2030 season and announces plan to expand to eight teamsAI data training supported by domestic chips, supercomputersFrom your alarm clock and mattress to your microwave and fridge2 horses fall and unseat their jockeys in 2nd race at Churchill DownsIranian professor makes chilling prediction about American college students after proArt on the lips at hippiest cultural district in Hong KongShanghai showcases Miyazaki's magicJurors hear closing arguments in landmark case alleging abuse at New Hampshire youth centerBeijing International Film Festival opens for cultural dialoguesToday's campus protests aren't nearly as big or violent as those last century