It can take a while. Years if the President of the country blocks investigation during his term. But once charges are filed and an investigation commences, there is no statute of limitations. And so, yesterday, we got word that the # 2 man of the Ahmadinejad regime had been convicted and after humanitarian appeals, sentenced to 5 years in prison.
The perp is Mohammadreza Rahimi, former Vice President of Iran.
Yes, folks. Their match to Dick Cheney.
Rahimi had originally been sentenced to 15 years on some 25 to 29 fraudulent documents and theft charges. Here is text from the the Iranian Students’ News Agency (ISNA) news item, as amended online:
Branch 11 of the Iranian Supreme Court sentences Mohammad Reza Rahimi to five years and 91 days in jail. This is a change from the Order from Branch 76 of Tehran Penal Court hearing. That verdict was for a 15 year sentence.
-- in Persian: www.isna.ir/fa/news/93110100677/%D9%85%D8%AD%D9%85%D8%AF%D8%B1%D8%B6%D8%A7-%D8%B1%D8%AD%DB%8C%D9%85%DB%8C-%D8%A8%D9%87-%D9%BE%D9%86%D8%AC-%D8%B3%D8%A7%D9%84-%D9%88-91-%D8%B1%D9%88%D8%B2-%D8%AD%D8%A8%D8%B3-%D9%88-%D9%BE%D8%B1%D8%AF%D8%A7%D8%AE%D8%AA
(That's how Persian looks when its Arabic letters go to unicode.)
According to IranWire and Reuters all this became public first in April of 2009. Elyas Naderan, MP, told parliamentary reporters that a financial corruption network had been uncovered. This was the “Fatemi House circle.” Naderan stated that every member of the conspiracy had been arrested — except for Rahimi.
Rahimi responded: “My devotion to the regime and its leader will never decrease even if I'm condemned a thousand times.”
President Ahmadinejad said his cabinet was off limits when it came to investigations and legal proceedings. “The cabinet is a red line,” he said, “And if it is violated, I must carry out my legal obligations.” (Murder and kidnapping come to mind. He was not one for half-measures.)
He could not cover for everyone. An extremely complex investigation ensued that tied in complaining businessmen Jaber Abdali and Hamzeh Nevis, who accused two former governors of Tehran, Morteza Tamadon and Kamran Daneshju, of running Pay-To-Play schemes. If you're familiar with New Jersey, same difference.
And of course, exactly like New Jersey, there had to be a Fall Guy. After secret trials and top secret interrogation procedures, Esmail Masudi, deputy to both the Tehran governors, received a four year suspended sentence. Plus a fine of one billion tomans, which translates to 1 billion times 10 rials. $363,610 if google's online conversion system is simple minded enough to match my key pushing efforts.
Iran's Prosecutor General, Gholamhossein Ejee, signed off on a public statement that details the case against the former Vice President. His office did the work that led to the sentence.
My, my. Can you imagine that happening here?
As you will recall, our Attorney General Eric Holder never signed off on anything related to our own former Vice President.
Faking the WMD evidence so's to enable the invasion/oil grab in Iraq ??? Well, nobody cares about that. Torture ??? Getting tapes of torture sent to the White House? Using government resources and personnel for unauthorized purposes... silly goose.
Of course. You have to be an idiot to think that starting a war is illegal. Or some damn leftie pinko who's soft on terrorists.
Holder was never fooled by such arguments. He knows the ways of Dominionist dominance.
Iran ??? Different story. For all the internal strife and the brutality of their Right Wing authoritarians, you have to be aware that a virtually seismic shift has hit Tehran with this conviction.
Seems possible that Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei wants to leave his country with a solid system of government. A day from night change from the Ahmadinejad years. Rule of Law in a country where politics has trumped honesty as far back as anyone can remember.
Getting to where no one skips out on punishment is a start.