Wales Tourism and Visit Planning

Holiday In Wales Thursday, 18th August 2005
Iran Focus

Tehran, Iran, Aug. 18 - Iran's ambassador to Ireland was recently recalled to Tehran and ordered to remain in the country while he was being investigated for money laundering in favour of a presidential hopeful during the June elections, according to a government-sponsored Persian-language website.

The ambassador, Hamidreza Nik-Kar Esfahani, has been accused of embezzling 50 billion Rials (approximately $5,000,000) from state funds to boost the election campaign of one of the candidates. He has been banned from travelling abroad.

In a separate development, the Iranian authorities have banned veteran football champion and national squad manager Ali Parvin from leaving the country. He is facing tax evasion charges.

Iran's ultra-Islamist judiciary has often been accused of using its vast powers of arrest and detention for political reasons.

Iran Focus Tehran, Iran, Oct. Iran's Judiciary Chief Ayatollah Mahmoud Hashemi Shahroudi ordered a ban on prison leave for "enemies of the Islamic Republic", including political prisoners and " makers", official daily reported on Thursday. Under the new order prisoners can no longer be granted temporary prison leave for various reasons, line daily Kayhan wrote.

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