Twenty conservative members of Iran’s parliament have demanded an open court public trial for the brother of President Hassan Rouhani and the brother of his vice president.
Hossein Fereydoun, Rouhani’s brother and Mehdi Jahangiri, the brother of Es’haq Jahangiri both are charged with economic crimes.
The lawmakers have written a letter to the head of Iran’s Judiciary, Ayatollah Sadegh Amoli Larijani asking him to set up “public” trials for the accused, Tasnim news agency reported on February 5.
Iran's general prosecutor on Wednesday was asked if the trail will be public and he answered that it depends on the judge to allow reporting or the presence of the public at the court session. No date has been announced.
Fereydon (also spelled Fereidoun) and Jahangiri were both accused of financial misdeeds in 2017 when anti-Rouhani politicians had launched a campaign against the re-elected president. It appeared that the Islamic Revolution Guard Corps also had a role in the campaign as Rouhani clashed with all-powerful military organization over their extensive role in Iran’s economy.
The lawmakers who are demanding an open trial are conservatives aligned with former president Mahmoud Ahmadinejad who has called both the Rouhani government and the Judiciary corrupt.
Rouhani’s brother is free on a huge bail, equaling $15 million dollars based on exchange rates in 2017.
Rouhani allies have demanded a “neutral" commission to judge the two and Larijani, the head of the Judiciary himself and his brother Fazel, who have also been accused of corruption by politicians and in the media.
