Iran Sentences ‘Sultan of Cars’ to Death

General view of a highway in Tehran, Iran. (Reuters)
General view of a highway in Tehran, Iran. (Reuters)
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Iran Sentences ‘Sultan of Cars’ to Death

General view of a highway in Tehran, Iran. (Reuters)
General view of a highway in Tehran, Iran. (Reuters)

Iran sentenced Vahid Behzadi, dubbed the “sultan of cars”, to death for a number of crimes, such as disruption of the country’s automobile market, currency smuggling and money laundering, announced Iran’s judiciary spokesman.

Spokesman Gholamhossein Esmaili said at a press conference that Behzadi, and his wife Najva Lasheidaee, are both involved in the cases and sentenced to death.

They are accused of purchasing and hoarding over 6,700 cars from the Saipa car factory, one of Iran’s two major car manufacturing companies.

Reuters reported that Esmaili spoke about the couple, in their early 40s, without giving any further details about them or their background.

“They have smuggled hard currency and laundered around $200 million,” he said. “Also, around 100 kg of gold and over 24,700 gold coins were found and seized in the couple’s home.”

The spokesman said the couple could appeal the verdict within 20 days.

In addition, two Iranian lawmakers, Fereydoun Ahmadi and Mohammad Azizi, were linked to a financial corruption case at Saipa and sentenced to 61 months in jail each on charges of “disrupting the country’s car market.

Neither lawmaker has commented publicly about the case.

Esmaili added that former CEO of the Saipa car factory, Mahdi Jamali, has been sentenced to seven years in prison for his involvement in distribution disruption mechanisms.

Iran’s judiciary has been waging a campaign against corruption at the state and private levels, especially with the deterioration of the economy due to US sanctions and the coronavirus outbreak.

Since August 2018, the Judiciary has been holding public trials of individuals involved in major financial corruption cases, including the brother of President Hassan Rouhani.

Hardline critics say state corruption has exacerbated since Rouhani was first elected in 2013, while the government dismisses the claims as politically motivated.



Ukraine Urges Investigation into Alleged Russian Chemical Weapons Use

The logo of the Organisation for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW) is seen during a special session in the Hague, Netherlands June 26, 2018. REUTERS/Yves Herman/File Photo
The logo of the Organisation for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW) is seen during a special session in the Hague, Netherlands June 26, 2018. REUTERS/Yves Herman/File Photo
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Ukraine Urges Investigation into Alleged Russian Chemical Weapons Use

The logo of the Organisation for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW) is seen during a special session in the Hague, Netherlands June 26, 2018. REUTERS/Yves Herman/File Photo
The logo of the Organisation for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW) is seen during a special session in the Hague, Netherlands June 26, 2018. REUTERS/Yves Herman/File Photo

Ukraine asked the global chemical weapons watchdog in The Hague on Tuesday to investigate the alleged use of banned toxic munitions by Russia against its forces.

A request to establish an investigation was submitted by Kyiv to the governing body of the organisation for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW).

It followed Dutch and German intelligence agencies on Friday saying they had evidence of widespread use of illegal weapons by Russia along the frontline.

Agency chief Fernando Arias said in a statement to the OPCW's Executive Council that in view of the alleged frequent use of dangerous chemical agents his office would step up monitoring of activity along the Russia-Ukraine conflict line, Reuters reportf.

He invited Ukraine to discuss its proposal with member states, a majority of whom may be needed to support such an investigation.

The OPCW created a similar team in 2018 to examine accusations of chemical weapons use in Syria. The Investigation and Identification Team found that Syrian government forces and Islamic State militants had used banned chemical weapons in the civil war that began in March 2011. The United States first accused Russia in May last year of using chloropicrin, a chemical compound more toxic than riot control agents and first used by Germany during World War One. The OPCW, a disarmament agency in The Hague with 193 member states, said last year that initial accusations levelled by both countries at each other were "insufficiently substantiated".

Both sides have denied using chemical weapons in the conflict, which escalated when Russia invaded Ukraine in February 2022.

"Ukraine hereby requests the Director-General of the OPCW to take steps towards establishing an independent and impartial mechanism (to) investigate cases of alleged use of chemical weapons in Ukraine," a copy of the request shared with Reuters said.

It asked that the mechanism be empowered to "collect additional evidence and identify perpetrators, organisers, sponsors of such use."

It was submitted at the beginning of four days of closed-door meetings by the 41-country Executive Council of the OPCW. The disarmament body had no immediate comment on the request.

At least three Ukrainian deaths have been tied to chemical weapons use, the Dutch Military Intelligence Agency said, while more than 2,500 people injured on the battlefield reported chemical weapons-related symptoms to Ukrainian health authorities.

On Monday, Britain targeted two Russian individuals and one Russian entity as part of its chemical weapons sanctions regime, in its latest effort to punish Moscow for the war in Ukraine.