Iran’s ambassador to Ireland banned from leaving Iran

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.