Shahram Jazayeri
{{short description|Iranian businessman}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=May 2020}}
{{Infobox person
| name = Shahram Jazayeri
| image =
| caption = Jazayeri in 2020
| birth_name = Shahram Jazaery Arab
| birth_date = {{birth date and age|df=yes|1972|09|11}}
| nationality = Iranian
| occupation = Businessman
| criminal_charges =
| criminal_penalty =
| criminal_status =
| website = {{URL|https://www.shahramjazayeri.com/|shahramjazayeri.com}}
}}
Shahram Jazayeri Arab ({{langx|fa| شهرام جزایری عرب}}) is an Iranian oligarch who was involved in a high-profile corruption case.{{citation|first1=Hossein|last1=Jaseb|first2=Hashem|last2=Kalantari|editor-first1=Catherine|editor-last1=Evans|title=Iran businessman must pay $145 mln in graft case|url=https://www.reuters.com/article/us-iran-corruption-sentence/iran-businessman-must-pay-145-mln-in-graft-case-idUSDAH64900120080526|work=Reuters|date=26 May 2008|access-date=3 May 2020}}
Early life and education
He started the business by selling ice cream in his youth. Jazayeri was a student of dentistry in Kerman.{{citation|first=Fariba|last=Adelkhah|title=The Thousand and One Borders of Iran: Travel and Identity|publisher=Routledge|isbn=9781317418979|year=2015|page=91}}
Career
Jazayeri "accrued unimaginable riches during a short time in the 2000s through corruption and connections with influential officials."{{citation|first=Shahram|last=Khosravi|title=Precarious Lives: Waiting and Hope in Iran|publisher=University of Pennsylvania Press|isbn=9780812248876|doi=10.9783/9780812293692|year=2017|pages=238–239}} He owned some 500 import-export companies and made through use of shell corporations, making monitoring of his activities difficult; while he made connections in the Parliament of Iran at the same time, where he was presented as an economic expert in some hearings.
Trial and imprisonment
Jazayeri was arrested in 2001 while boarding a commercial flight to the United Arab Emirates, when he was initially prosecuted for influence peddling and providing fake passport for an Afghan citizen. Charges against him included: bribery totaling 38 billion rials ($4.75 million), fraud to obtain loans amounting to 811 billion rials ($101 million), and setting up bogus companies.{{citation|title=Corruption Watch|url=https://www.rferl.org/a/1342396.html|date=31 January 2002|volume=2|number=4|work=Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty}} On 18 November 2002, Jazayeri was sentenced to 27 years of imprisonment.{{citation|title=Iran Report|url=https://www.rferl.org/a/1342807.html|date=25 November 2002|volume=5|number=43|work=Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty}} In September 2004, the supreme court partially overturned the conviction{{citation|title=Newsline|url=https://www.rferl.org/a/1143251.html|date=27 September 2004|work=Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty}} and sent back his case to the lower court awaiting trial.{{citation|title=Newsline|url=https://www.rferl.org/a/1342702.html|date=4 October 2004|work=Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty}} The court of appeal in 2008, reduced his sentence to 14 years and ruled that he must pay $145 million to the Iranian government, including $48 million owed to the state-owned Bank Melli Iran.
In 2007, an Iranian newspaper reported that, unlike ordinary prisoners in Iran, Jazayeri had access to a laptop and two mobile phones, and is living in luxury in prison, continuing his business activities overseas.[https://m.washingtontimes.com/news/2007/mar/27/20070327-121437-3332r/ Washingtontimes: Financial criminal captivates Tehran ]
Escape from prison
Jazayeri escaped from guards during a transfer on 20 February 2007, and reportedly fled the country afterwards.{{citation|title=Newsline|url=https://www.rferl.org/a/1143820.html|date=27 February 2007|work=Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty}} He was arrested by Ministry of Intelligence on 18 March 2007, in "one of the countries on the Persian Gulf".{{citation|title=Newsline|url=https://www.rferl.org/a/1143834.html|date=19 March 2007|work=Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty}} Iranian media reported that four senior officials in the judicial system were fired for his escape.
Release from prison and later arrests
He was released on 3 October 2014.{{citation|first=Umid|last=Niayesh|title=Iranian multi-billionaire released after 11 years in prison|url=https://en.trend.az/iran/society/2318694.html|date=3 October 2014|work=Trend News Agency}} Jazayeri was detained again in Mashhad on 6 August 2016, charged with "disturbing public peace."{{citation|title=The Rough Road to Stockholm: Iranian tycoon Shahram Jazayeri is detained once again|url=http://www.irdiplomacy.ir/en/news/1962100/The+Rough+Road+to+Stockholm+Iranian+tycoon+Shahram+Jazayeri+is+detained+once+again.html|date=11 August 2016|work=Iranian Diplomacy}} On 29 July 2018, he was once again arrested while hidden in a consignment of lentils in an attempt to illegally cross the Bazargan border. A prosecutor said he may face a "relatively long-term imprisonment" in January 2019.{{citation|title=Shahram Jazayeri may face long-term imprisonment|url=http://www.tehrantimes.com/news/431509/Shahram-Jazayeri-may-face-long-term-imprisonment|date=5 January 2019|work=Tehran Times}}{{citation|title=Iran arrests corrupt businessman before leaving the country|url=https://en.mehrnews.com/news/136169/Iran-arrests-corrupt-businessman-before-leaving-the-country|date=29 July 2018|work=Mehr News Agency}}
Scam in Prison
Shahram Jazayeri started to selling crypto scam token with name of Power Cash in Tehran Bozorg Prison. {{citation|title=خرید و فروش رمز ارز و کلاهبرداری ۴ میلیاردی در زندان شهرام جزایری دوباره محاکمه می شود؟|url=https://www.jamehnews.com/%D8%AE%D8%B1%DB%8C%D8%AF-%D9%88-%D9%81%D8%B1%D9%88%D8%B4-%D8%B1%D9%85%D8%B2-%D9%88-%DA%A9%D9%84%D8%A7%D9%87%D8%A8%D8%B1%D8%AF%D8%A7%D8%B1%DB%8C-%DB%B4-%D9%85%DB%8C%D9%84%DB%8C%D8%A7%D8%B1%D8%AF%DB%8C/|date=29 July 2020|work=jamehnews}} he is also released shahrambank coin and shahramcoin.