Hossein Fereydoun, the brother of former Iranian President Hassan Rouhani, has returned to the Iranian judiciary, this time facing charges of taking “a bribe from a manufacturer of auto parts” to finance the election campaign in 2012.
Quoting the Iranian Judiciary, the semi-official Mehr news agency reported that the fourth branch of the Special Court for Economic Corruption had initiated the first trial sessions of the former president’s brother, for taking a bribe and receiving a brokerage commission from a company that manufactures spare parts.
No comments were issued by the former president’s office or his brother’s law firm.
Fereydoun is being tried based on a report by the Revolutionary Guards Corps' (IRGC) intelligence service.
The IRGC report notes that the man had received 16 billion Iranian riyals from the auto parts company. He is also facing charges of obtaining up to 18 billion riyals to spend on activities in the ninth parliament elections, one year before Rouhani’s victory in the presidency.
Fereydoun is currently serving a five-year prison sentence after he was found guilty of taking bribes in a massive bank debt case.
Earlier this month, Iranian lawmakers agreed to investigate the performance of the presidency during Rouhani’s tenure, based on the report of the Internal Affairs Committee. The investigation includes senior officials in Rouhani’s office for their possible role in rampant corruption.
Part of the investigations targets the former Iranian president’s brother for his interference in the nuclear negotiations.
Fereydoun served as Rouhani’s special representative in the nuclear talks.
