Notorious former Iranian prosecutor sentenced to more than 100 lashes
| Publisher | Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty |
| Publication Date | 2 November 2016 |
| Cite as | Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty, Notorious former Iranian prosecutor sentenced to more than 100 lashes, 2 November 2016, available at: https://www.refworld.org/docid/5975a1d013.html [accessed 20 May 2023] |
| Disclaimer | This is not a UNHCR publication. UNHCR is not responsible for, nor does it necessarily endorse, its content. Any views expressed are solely those of the author or publisher and do not necessarily reflect those of UNHCR, the United Nations or its Member States. |
November 02, 2016
Former Iranian chief prosecutor Said Mortazavi
Said Mortazavi, Iran's notorious former chief prosecutor, has been sentenced to receive 135 lashes for charges related to a corruption trial.
Mortazavi, who played a major role in sentencing opposition activists from Iran's Green Movement following the disputed 2009 presidential election, was convicted on November 2 in Tehran of "seizing and wasting public funds" when he headed the country's welfare program.
Mortazavi, 49, can appeal the sentence.
A close ally of hard-line former President Mahmud Ahmadinejad, the sentencing is the culmination a huge fall from grace for a man who led Tehran's Revolutionary Court and the country's powerful Judiciary from 2003 to 2009, leading the attack against reformists and shutting down opposition media outlets.
Mortazavi was found responsible by parliament for the deaths of three antigovernment demonstrators and was suspended from his job in 2010 and was disbarred in 2014.
Human Rights Watch described Mortazavi in 2010 as a "serial human rights abuser."
Mortazavi was targeted by U.S. sanctions over "sustained and severe violations of human rights" while chief prosecutor and was linked to the 2003 death in custody of Iranian-Canadian photojournalist Zahra Kazemi.
Based on reporting by AFP and Reuters
Link to original story on RFE/RL website
