The spokesman for the Iranian judiciary announced that Mehdi Hashemi, the son of Iran’s Expediency Council chief, moderate cleric Ayatollah Hashemi Rafsanjani, has been sentenced to imprisonment, cash fines, confiscation of assets and a ban from seeking any government employment.
Fars News Agency reports that Hashemi is facing seven years in jail and cash fines as well as a ban from public service for just one of the charges against him. For another two charges, he has been sentenced to five and three years respectively.
Gholamhossein Mohseni Ejei, the spokesman for the judiciary, said the court rulings will not be finalized until after they have been reviewed by the appellate court, and he can give no further details until then.
Hashemi’s lawyer said last week that the defence has been presented to the court and his side will appeal any ruling other than an acquittal.
Mahmoud Alizadeh Tabatabayi added that he has kept all the defence documents and court transcripts and will publish them after the court ruling is issued to prove that there is no cause for action.
