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.
Jon Wysocki dead at 53: Staind drummer passes away
Beijing speeds up to build international tech innovation hub
Incredible moment paddleboarder has very close encounter with pod of curious orcas off Alaska coast
Minnesota Uber and Lyft driver pay package beats deadline to win approval in Legislature
AP Week in Pictures: Latin America and Caribbean
AP Week in Pictures: Europe and Africa
Position switch back in high school pays off for Seahawks' first
NBA playoffs: Edwards leads Wolves to 98
Here's what's on the table for Israel and Hamas in the latest cease