President Hassan Rouhani

 

WEB DESK

Iran President Hassan Rouhani’s brother has been sentenced to an unspecified prison term for corruption.

Iran’s semi-official IRNA news agency today said that Hossein Fereidoun, a close confidante of the president, will be able to appeal the verdict.

The financial misconduct charges date back to 2016, and were brought by hard-liners who dominate the country’s judiciary.

Fereidoun’s trial began in February. He has been free on bail since spending a night in prison in 2017. He had played a role as part of the team that negotiated Iran’s 2015 nuclear agreement with world powers.

Iran has in the past too jailed allies of former presidents for similar charges.