Extradition of an Embezzler to Iran

Extradition of an Embezzler to Iran

According to Iran Gate, Marjan Al Agha, one of the most significant fugitives from Iran involved in economic corruption cases and recognized as one of the biggest embezzlers in Iran’s history, is reportedly the subject of ongoing efforts to have her and several others extradited back to Iran.

Iran Gate has repeatedly reported on the case of Marjan Al Agha, a major Iranian embezzler who fled the country. The topic of her extradition to Iran has resurfaced and become a talking point. The Islamic Republic government has, on some occasions, succeeded in extraditing certain fugitives accused of embezzlement back to the country.

What Were Al Agha’s Charges?

In 2018, Marjan Sheikh-al-Islami Al Agha was found guilty in court as the second defendant in an embezzlement case involving the Sepanir Company, owned by the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps. As noted in previous sections of her case review, she was the second of 13 defendants in this case, serving as the CEO of Deniz Trading and Hetra Commerce.

In the mentioned 2018 court, she was charged with participating in disrupting the country’s economic system and acquiring illicit wealth amounting to 16 million euros. Additionally, after the verdict, it was alleged that she, in collaboration with Reza Hamzehloo and Ali Ashraf Riyahi, threatened judicial officials involved in the case. Although this matter has never been examined in any court, it could become a troublesome aspect of Al Agha’s case for her and her two accomplices.

Legal Leverage in the Hands of the Islamic Republic

As mentioned, Marjan Al Agha used companies she established in foreign countries, particularly Turkey and China, to circumvent oil industry sanctions. She was involved in a $74 billion embezzlement case, the largest corruption case in Iran’s history, during the late 2000s and early 2010s.

The most troublesome part of Al Agha’s case now is her involvement in the process of circumventing sanctions, an issue of high importance to the United States, which has prosecuted and imprisoned various individuals for participating in the process of evading Iran sanctions.

Although figures like Mahmoud Reza Khavari, former CEO of Bank Melli Iran, have fled the country and live in Canada without being extradited to Iran, the key difference in Al Agha’s case is her involvement in sanction evasion. She committed crimes in countries like Turkey and China, where the U.S. government prosecutes those involved.

Khavari was involved in a case related to domestic disputes and accused of embezzlement within the banking network, with no connection to sanctions or their evasion. Despite ongoing efforts to extradite Khavari to the Islamic Republic for trial in Iran, Al Agha’s case is entirely different, as she violated not only Iranian laws but also international laws, particularly those of the United States.

Financing and Collaborating with Terrorism

Marjan Al Agha was directly involved with the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps in the Sepanir Company case. This collaboration occurred when Donald Trump, during his presidency, listed the Revolutionary Guard as a terrorist organization in the United States.

Since Al Agha’s cooperation with the Guard was aimed at circumventing sanctions, it can be said she was involved in financing terrorism. These criminal charges, recognized as among the highest crimes in the U.S. judiciary, could also be prosecuted in other countries, as financing terrorism is a crime in most Western countries. Al Agha facilitated illicit and illegal income for a member of the U.S. terrorist list.

Doha Becomes Al Agha’s Last Home

Certainly, someone like Marjan Sheikh-al-Islami Al Agha, involved in major corruption cases, is considered a criminal by Western governments. However, it seems the necessary evidence for her prosecution has not yet been provided to the U.S. or Canadian governments, allowing her to continue her luxurious life in Canada and the U.S.

The exchange of dual-national prisoners between Iran and the U.S. has reignited the discussion on why the Islamic Republic does not arrange efforts to extradite economic fugitives. Recently, it has been heard that there are ongoing efforts to include figures like Al Agha and Khavari in such exchanges, which would naturally have significant promotional value for Raisi’s government.

The more important point is that these individuals should not be able to continue their carefree and luxurious lives in Western countries until they are extradited. Therefore, Iran Gate has undertaken extensive efforts to obtain accurate and compelling evidence of Al Agha’s direct involvement in circumventing oil industry sanctions, particularly petrochemical industry sanctions, and collaboration with the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps. This effort could place Marjan Sheikh-al-Islami Al Agha on the list of travelers to New York-Doha and put an end to her carefree spending of the Iranian people’s money.