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Iran ex-prosecutor sentenced to 135 lashes for corruption | |
(35 minutes later) | |
An Iranian court has sentenced Tehran's controversial former chief prosecutor to 135 lashes for corruption, local media report. | |
Saeed Mortazavi was convicted of misappropriation and wasting public goods. | |
The offences are said to have taken place while he was in charge of Iran's social welfare system in 2012 and 2013. | The offences are said to have taken place while he was in charge of Iran's social welfare system in 2012 and 2013. |
He has previously been the subject of US sanctions, accused of "sustained and severe violations of human rights". | |
State television quoted prosecutors as saying the sentence was too light and that they planned to lodge a complaint. | State television quoted prosecutors as saying the sentence was too light and that they planned to lodge a complaint. |
His sentence is also open to appeal. | His sentence is also open to appeal. |
Custody deaths | Custody deaths |
Mortazavi, a close ally of former President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, has been fiercely criticised by reformists and human rights organisations. | |
He rose to prominence in the early 2000s, when he was instrumental in shutting down reformist newspapers and imprisoning journalists. | He rose to prominence in the early 2000s, when he was instrumental in shutting down reformist newspapers and imprisoning journalists. |
He was also linked to the case of Zahra Kazemi, an Iranian-Canadian photojournalist, who died in 2003 after being arrested. | He was also linked to the case of Zahra Kazemi, an Iranian-Canadian photojournalist, who died in 2003 after being arrested. |
However, his fortunes began to change after the authorities put down mass protests that erupted after Mr Ahmadinejad's disputed re-election in 2009. | |
Parliament held him responsible for the deaths of three protesters who had been imprisoned. | |
The trio died of injuries obtained during their time in Kahrizak prison. Iran's Supreme Leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, responded to the public outcry by closing the prison entirely. | |
Mortazavi was subsequently appointed as head of Iran's State Welfare Organisation, during which time the alleged corruption took place. | |
He was removed from that role in January 2013 due to pressure from parliament. But Mr Ahmadinejad quickly reappointed him in a caretaker capacity. | |
In 2014, Mortazavi was disbarred and banned from holding public office for five years, after the Supreme Court upheld a ruling that he ordered the torture of the three dead protesters in 2009. | |
Iran continues to use forms of punishment widely condemned by other nations. | Iran continues to use forms of punishment widely condemned by other nations. |
Human rights groups such as Amnesty International say punishments including blinding, being made deaf, or amputation are common. |
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