Babak Zanjani | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Born | Babak Zanjani 12 March 1974[1] |
| Nationality | Iranian |
| Occupation | Businessman |
| Criminal status | Stayed (2021) |
| Criminal charge | Spreading corruption on earth |
| Penalty | Execution |
Date apprehended | 2013 |
| Website | www |
Babak Zanjani (Persian: بابک زنجانی, born 12 March 1974)[1] is an Iranian billionaire and business magnate. He was the managing director of the UAE-based Sorinet Group, one of Iran's largest business conglomerates.[3] In late 2013, he was arrested and accused of withholding $2.7 billion of government money owned by the Ministry of Petroleum, while facilitating Iran's oil revenue, which was hindered by the sanctions against Iran.
Zanjani was convicted of corruption and sentenced to death. In 2021, while awaiting execution, the Supreme Court of Iran indicated that the sentence would be commuted when his debts to the Iranian government were paid, and stayed his sentence, pending return of the embezzled funds. Several commentators have stated that Zanjani is perhaps a "fall guy" for corruption scandals in Iran.[4][5][6]
- ^ a b US Department of the Treasury (11 April 2013). "Treasury Targets Network Attempting to Evade Iran Sanctions".
- ^ Cite error: The named reference
bbcwas invoked but never defined (see the help page). - ^ "Sorinet Group".
- ^ Sune Engel Rasmussen (14 March 2016). "How Babak Zanjani Went From Iran's Top Sanctions Buster to Dead Billionaire Walking". Newsweek. Retrieved 1 January 2017.
Zanjani serves as a fall guy for the current government's attempt, at least in public, to break with the cronyism of the Ahmadinejad era.
- ^ Hamid Dabashi (10 March 2016). "Babak Zanjani and the collaboration of Iran". Al Jazeera. Retrieved 1 January 2017.
The full exposure of such corruptions scandalizes not only the crook who engaged in such financial atrocities, but those who enabled him and are now using him as "the fall guy".
- ^ Michael Theodoulou (11 January 2014). "Downfall of Iran's billionaire sanctions-buster". The National. Retrieved 1 January 2017.
Scott Lucas, an Iran specialist at Birmingham University in England, suspects that Mr Zanjani will become the "fall guy" for corruption scandals involving powerful figures and institutions during the Ahmadinejad era. "More senior figures are likely to escape unscathed, provided Mr Zanjani pays the price," Mr Lucas said.