This article is from the source 'bbc' and was first published or seen on . It last changed over 40 days ago and won't be checked again for changes.
You can find the current article at its original source at https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-middle-east-50068577
The article has changed 3 times. There is an RSS feed of changes available.
Version 0 | Version 1 |
---|---|
Hossein Fereydoun: Iranian president's brother begins prison term | Hossein Fereydoun: Iranian president's brother begins prison term |
(32 minutes later) | |
Iranian President Hassan Rouhani's brother has reportedly begun a five-year prison sentence for corruption. | Iranian President Hassan Rouhani's brother has reportedly begun a five-year prison sentence for corruption. |
Hossein Fereydoun, who was a close adviser to the president, entered Tehran's Evin prison on Wednesday, his lawyer told local media. | Hossein Fereydoun, who was a close adviser to the president, entered Tehran's Evin prison on Wednesday, his lawyer told local media. |
He was convicted of "receiving bribes" in May and sentenced to seven years. | He was convicted of "receiving bribes" in May and sentenced to seven years. |
An appeals court later reduced the jail term, but ordered him to return any property that he had acquired illicitly and fined him 310bn riyals. | |
That sum is equivalent to $9m (£7m) on the country's official exchange rate, but $27m (£21m) at the free-market exchange rate. | |
Fereydoun denied any wrongdoing and some supporters of the president, who is a moderate, said the case was a move by hardliners in the judiciary to discredit him. | Fereydoun denied any wrongdoing and some supporters of the president, who is a moderate, said the case was a move by hardliners in the judiciary to discredit him. |
The judiciary has said it has no political motivation for the cases it tries. | The judiciary has said it has no political motivation for the cases it tries. |
Mr Rouhani promised to curb corruption in the 2013 and 2017 president election campaigns. However, he has struggled to do so. | Mr Rouhani promised to curb corruption in the 2013 and 2017 president election campaigns. However, he has struggled to do so. |
The president was born Hassan Fereydoun but changed his surname to a word meaning "spiritual" or "cleric" decades ago after joining a seminary. | The president was born Hassan Fereydoun but changed his surname to a word meaning "spiritual" or "cleric" decades ago after joining a seminary. |
In a separate development on Wednesday, the French foreign ministry said the Iranian authorities had detained the French academic Roland Marchal. | In a separate development on Wednesday, the French foreign ministry said the Iranian authorities had detained the French academic Roland Marchal. |
The ministry added that it had asked Iranian officials to bring the "unacceptable" situation to an end without delay. | The ministry added that it had asked Iranian officials to bring the "unacceptable" situation to an end without delay. |
Mr Marchal, a sociologist who focuses on civil wars in Africa, is reported to have been arrested in June along with a French-Iranian colleague at Sciences Po university in Paris, Fariba Adelkhah. Her detention was confirmed in July. | Mr Marchal, a sociologist who focuses on civil wars in Africa, is reported to have been arrested in June along with a French-Iranian colleague at Sciences Po university in Paris, Fariba Adelkhah. Her detention was confirmed in July. |