The founder and former CEO of cryptocurrency exchange Binance, was sentenced to four months in prison on Tuesday for violating US money laundering laws and failing to comply with sanctions, including those against Iran.
The investigation revealed that Binance allowed more than 1.5 million virtual currency trades worth around $900 million, violating US sanctions. These included transactions involving Iran and designated terror groups such as Iran-backed Hamas, al-Qaeda and Islamic State.
Prosecutors said Binance employed a "Wild West" model that welcomed criminals, and did not report more than 100,000 suspicious transactions.
Families of victims of the Hamas terror attacks of October 7 and the families of hostages taken to Gaza, are suing Binance, along with Iran and Syria, for Binance's role in funding the terror group, among others between 2017 and 2023.
Once considered a leading figure in the cryptocurrency world, Changpeng Zhao's sentencing marks him as the second major cryptocurrency executive to face prison time after Sam Bankman-Fried for his role in the FTX scandal.
Presiding US District Judge Richard Jones in Seattle delivered a sentence that fell significantly below the three years requested by federal prosecutors, and well under the maximum of 1-1/2 years recommended by federal guidelines.
Binance was also found to have facilitated transactions involving the sale of child sexual abuse materials and processed substantial sums from ransomware attacks.
In addition to the prison term, Binance has agreed to a $4.32 billion penalty to settle the charges, while Zhao himself has paid a $50 million criminal fine and another $50 million to the US Commodity Futures Trading Commission.
Zhao stepped down as Binance's chief in November, when he and the exchange he founded in 2017 admitted to evading money-laundering requirements under the Bank Secrecy Act. He is expected to serve his sentence at a detention center near Seattle-Tacoma International Airport.
The release of a BBC World report detailing the violent death of teenager Nika Shakarami, a key figure in Iran's Woman, Life, Freedom uprising, has fueled a new wave of public outrage in Iran.
The report, revealing that Shakarami, 16, was sexually assaulted and killed by members of the Islamic Republic's security forces amid the nationwide uprising sparked by the death in morality-police custody of Mahsa Amini in 2022. Shakarami's death followed last year.
According to the report, BBC World accessed a "highly confidential" document showing that three security personnel were directly involved in the sexual assault and murder of Shakarami.
The document, based on statements from the security forces, includes names of the perpetrators and senior commanders who concealed the details of the crime. It describes how one officer physically restrained Shakarami, while she resisted, ultimately provoking a brutal response with batons.
Prominent figures such as Prince Reza Pahlavi have subsequently been vocal on platforms such as X (formerly Twitter), condemning the systematic abuse and calling for international accountability. "Ali Khamenei's thugs are waging a campaign of systematic sexual assault against Iranian women and protesters. This is a crime against humanity, and the international legal community must hold the perpetrators, primarily Khamenei, accountable," Pahlavi stated. He also encouraged all Iranians to stand in solidarity with the women of Iran against this organized aggression.
Amid the peak of the uprising, over 550 protesters were killed by Iran's security forces with Iran's Me Too movement finding that sexual abuse is systematically used against women, until today.
Hamed Esmaeilion, another prominent critic of the regime, echoed the sentiment of no forgiveness or forgetting, promising that Shakarami's killers would face punishment. Similarly, Masih Alinejad, a journalist and political activist, stressed the need to not only identify but expose the assailants, emphasizing the orchestrated nature of the crime and its profound implications.
Abdollah Mohtadi, Secretary-General of the Komala Party of Iranian Kurdistan, pointed to the murder as a stark indicator that the only resolution to the ongoing oppression and brutality, which has led to global sanctions, is the complete dismantling of the regime and its ideological foundations.
Gohar Eshghi, mother of Sattar Beheshti, a blogger who was killed in 2012 under torture in custody, wrote: "The entire world sees the document of crime and lies of the Islamic Republic. As I have said before, the only way for the happiness of the Iranian nation and justice-seeking is the fall of the Islamic Republic and holding a trial for each of these criminals."
In February, a document obtained from a hack of the judicial systems of the Islamic Republic confirmed the rape of Nika before her murder.
According to the document, which was written by Abbas Masjedi Arani, head of the Forensic Medicine Organization, addressed to the Supreme National Security Council, it stated, "In the genital examination, signs indicating assault or rough sexual intercourse were evident."
Shakarami's family found her body in a morgue nine days after her disappearance, while authorities claimed she had committed suicide.
UK Foreign Secretary David Cameron says the existing sanctions against Iran are sufficient, arguing against the proscription of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) as a terrorist organization.
In a session with the House of Lords International Relations and Defense Committee on Tuesday, Cameron claimed that such a move could sever diplomatic channels which are vital for communication and conflict de-escalation with Iran, deemed the world's number one state sponsor of terror by the US last year.
"There is a disadvantage, to be frank about it, from proscription, which is that it would effectively end diplomatic relations…I think that is not in Britain's interest, that wouldn't strengthen our approach, in many ways it would weaken it."
The IRGC, beyond its regional operations, including attacks and military actions in Syria, Iraq, and recently Israel, has also carried out multiple attempted plots on UK soil. Despite this, Cameron stated that the current sanctions regime against the IRGC is adequate for the UK to address any illegal activities by Iran.
“We have sanctioned the IRGC in its entirety. When I ask law enforcement, police, intelligence services, others, is this extra step of proscription necessary in order to take further action against these people when they do the things that we disapprove of, the answer is no.”
Last week, following Iran's attempted aerial attack on Israel earlier this month, in which over 350 missiles and drones were sent towards the Jewish state, but most intercepted by Israel and a US-led coalition, the European Parliament adopted a resolution calling for increased sanctions against Tehran and for the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) to be designated as a terrorist organization.
The resolution was passed after intense debate where Josep Borrell, the EU Foreign Policy Chief, faced criticism for not already designating the IRGC as such. Borrell defended his position by stating that the IRGC is already under severe sanctions as part of the "Iran Weapons of Mass Destruction" sanctions regime, and adding a terrorist designation would be redundant and ineffective. This led Swedish representative Charlie Weimers to openly accuse Borrell of lying.
Iran is now heavily sanctioned for its nuclear program, its military support for Russia's war on Ukraine, and severe human rights abuses at home. However, its nuclear enrichment has continued in spite of sanctions, as has its rights violations and selling drones to Russia for use in Ukraine.
The UK Foreign Affairs Committee convened a session Tuesday where experts provided insights on threats posed by Iran as part of the Committee's inquiry into the UK’s international counter-terrorism policy.
Those testifying included Younger and University of St Andrews Professor of Iranian History, Ali Ansari.
During the initial panel, former MI6 chief Sir Alex Younger discussed the evaluation of the UK's counter-terrorism policy, focusing on the global threat landscape and factors contributing to terrorism. Leveraging his experience in intelligence and security matters, Younger emphasized the intricate nature of the global threats and underscored the pivotal role of state sponsorship in amplifying the impact of terrorist activities.
When questioned about the complexity added by Iran's involvement with organized crime, Younger emphasized the significant challenge posed when a state supports such activities. “I think all of these do take on a different character if you've got the state behind them.”
Regarding Iranian terrorism, particularly within the Middle East and North Africa region, Younger was asked about the most effective actions the UK should take to mitigate threats to its security emanating from the destabilizing activities of the Iranian State. Younger suggested a "full-court press" approach, highlighting not just Iran but also Russia's activities, further adding:
"They've taken every aspect of state power, proxies, subversion, and cyber and bent all that to a single strategic purpose without regard for law or values and deployed them across the spectrum.”
Younger further stressed the need for a comprehensive response to these hybrid threats, acknowledging the necessity of retaining ethical and legal principles while learning from adversaries' teamwork strategies:
"We've got something to learn about the teamwork aspects of this and the rigor of prioritizing it against key strategic objectives."
In the second panel, University of St Andrews Professor of Iranian History, Ali Ansari addressed the Committee on Iran and its proxies, particularly focusing on the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC). Ansari highlighted concerns about Iran's ideological expansion and propaganda efforts, stressing the need for proactive measures against the IRGC and its activities:
"One of the areas the UK is less prepared and able to contend with is the Iranian regime's ideological expansion and education which is being carried out in a professional and serious level."
Regarding the potential of proscribing the IRGC as a terrorist entity in the UK, Ansari asserted that to effectively address the threat posed by the IRGC, its proxies, and their activities, a more proactive and engaged approach is needed and that simply proscribing it as a terrorist organization is not sufficient to solve the problem. Ansari further proposed that unilateral action might not be as effective as a coordinated approach with European partners and a broader coalition:
"It'd send a stronger signal if it's done with European partners and a broader coalition."
Moreover, Ansari advocated for a more assertive stance against Iran's regime, stressing the imperative of confronting its ideology and enhancing capabilities to effectively counter its activities. He urged:
"We need to start challenging, pushing back and confronting [Iran's regime] in a way the ideology and the toxicity that comes along with it."
Furthermore, Professor Ansari highlighted Iran's Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei's recent endorsement of "various campus demonstrations in the US”, to show how they are "following his lead". Ansari further suggested that this move by Khamenei is also sending a message to his critics inside Iran and an attempt to show his influence abroad.
Ansari also highlighted the necessity for bolstering language and cultural expertise within security services:
"We need a lot more Persian language speakers and people who understand the language and culture of the land our security services are dealing with. We need to enhance our capabilities, and then be able to push back with a response."
The next session of the Foreign Affairs Committee inquiry into the UK’s international counter-terrorism policy is scheduled for May 7, 2024.
Over 70 Iranians staged a protest in Princeton University on Friday, demanding that the Ivy League university fire Iranian government insider, Seyed Hossein Mousavian.
Protesters included a survivor of the attack on Iranian-Kurdish dissidents in Berlin in 1992 when Mousavian was the Islamic Republic’s ambassador to Germany. Four Iranians were assassinated at the Mykonos restaurant by two masked gunmen.
The protest was the latest in an Iranian-American campaign launched in March to secure the dismissal of Mousavian at Princeton University for his alleged role in the assassinations of over 20 Iranian dissidents in Europe during the 1990’s.
The first-ever demonstration on the campus of Princeton against Mousavian saw banners demanding “Fire Mousavian” and “Shame on Princeton” with a picture of Mousavian on display at the main entrance to the campus.
In November, referring to the Mykonos case, Mousavian told Iran International: ”The 398-page verdict is published and everyone can have access to it. The Berlin court verdict does not contain any direct or indirect allegations against me.”
Mousavian took to X on Friday to criticize the protesters. He wrote that “After two months of extensive advertising by Fox News, Iran International, Voice of America, and others to participate in the ‘Great Call to fire Mousavian from Princeton University,’ only 30-40 people participated in today’s rally!!!” He called the protest a “great scandal.”
His mocking of the attendance angered organizers who branded the comments "dismissive" and "profoundly disrespectful to those suffering under the brutality of the Islamic Regime.”
Lawdan Barzargan, the lead organizer of the demonstration against Mousavian, told Iran International that those attending were "individuals who have endured the loss of loved ones, imprisonment, or direct harm, [who] came together in a call for justice, not scandal."
Barzargan, who oversees the Alliance Against Islamic Regime of Iran Apologists (AAIRIA), added: "Given Mousavian's direct involvement in activities associated with terrorism, Princeton should reconsider the appropriateness of maintaining a person with such a dark past on its campus. We stand firmly with the victims and demand accountability, condemning Mousavian's mocking remarks that dare to belittle their plight."
Parviz Dastmalchi, a survivor of the 1992 Berlin attack, also spoke at the rally in Princeton. “Here, I met people whose parents were both executed by the IRI. I met people whose children, brothers, and sisters were killed by the IRI. These atrocities are unforgivable and unforgettable,” he said, saying Mousavian's hands "are stained with the blood of thousands of Iranians.”
According to Dastmalchi, who flew from Germany to the US to attend a press conference in Washington about Iranian regime-sponsored terrorism and the rally in Princeton, “Mousavian, as the ambassador of the Islamic Republic of Iran, was the official representative of this criminal government and is still a supporter of this brutal regime. “
He added “According to documents and the testimony of one witness at the Berlin court, he was actively involved in the killing of dissidents in Western Europe. Our question is: Can this university employ such a person to educate young people? Should America allow such a person to stay in the country? We, the justice seekers, demand Mousavian's expulsion from the university and his removal from the United States of America.”
According to a recently translated 1997 article from the Berlin newspaper Der Tagesspiegel, Abolghasem Mesbahi, a former Iranian intelligence official, told a Berlin court during the Mykonos trial: “Mousavian participated in most of the [Iranian regime's] crimes that took place in Europe.”
Arash Saleh, the representative of the Democratic Party of Iranian Kurdistan in America, said at the protest “The presence of an individual associated with terrorism [at Princeton University] not only undermines the university's core values but also poses a threat to the safety and well-being of its community members," calling to terminate his employment.
"Allowing his continued presence despite strong calls from Iranian society and his involvement in terrorism would set a negative precedent for the institute's future," he claimed.
Omid Iravanipour, a human rights advisor for United Against a Nuclear Iran, also spoke at the rally, slamming the ongoing employment by Princeton of a man so closely linked with a regime that the US says is the world's number one state sponsor of terror.
He said “It is appalling that a person that loudly and proudly has praised Qasem Soleimani, one of IRGC’s major commanders who was not only a part of oppression and murder machine of IRGC against Iranian citizens but also responsible for countless murders, injuries and kidnappings of Americans and American allies.”
Iravanipour said that under Mousavian's watch as ambassador in Germany, Iranian Fereydoun Farrokhzad was murdered in his apartment in Germany following his involvement in producing an opposition radio program and reportedly, receiving death threats.
The LGBTQ activist called it "a murder that had hallmarks of the Iranian government’s operations all over it. Farrokhzad was not only a great Iranian Artist and activist, but as recent evidence has made it clear he was also a member of LGBT community.”
Masih Alinejad, the Iranian-American women’s rights activist who has faced multiple threats to her life from the regime since she has lived in exile, joined the campaign to fire Mousavian, writing on X “Outrageous! Hossein Mousavian’s ties to Iranian dissident assassinations cannot be ignored. Princeton’s decision to employ him is an insult to victims of terror. I call on all freedom advocates to join us in demanding justice and accountability.”
Afshin Afshin-Jam, a political analyst, human rights and environmental activist, fired back at Mousavian on X. “Mousavian's claim that the protest was a 'disgrace' is a fallacy. As we say in Persian, 'The night is long, and justice is awake,' or using another proverb, 'Don’t count the chicks until the end of autumn'," he wrote.
Mousavian declined to answer Iran International email and telephone press queries. Michael Hotchkiss, the university's assistant vice president for communications, refused to answer detailed Iran International questions via email or telephone about Mousavian’s alleged role in the assassinations of Iranian dissidents and his reported support for the US-designated terrorism organizations, Hamas and Hezbollah.
Iran's government plans to mark the day of the Revolutionary Guard’s missile and drone attacks against Israel in the Iranian calendar as a national "Remembrance Day."
The minister of culture, Mohammad Mehdi Esmaeili, announced the news on Tuesday as the government desperately tries to turn the failed operation into a success story.
During the unprecedented military assault on April 13, Iran launched over 350 missiles and drones at Israel in retaliation for what Tehran claims was an Israeli airstrike on its consulate in Damascus, which allegedly killed a senior Quds Force commander and several officers.
Despite the majority of the projectiles being intercepted by Israeli air defenses and a US-led coalition, Iranian government and military officials have consistently described the April 13 attack as a success. They claim it demonstrates Iran's military capability and deterrence.
The move is part of broader efforts by Iranian authorities to use state-controlled media to shape public perception, focusing on their portrayal of military actions as victorious without acknowledging any operational or diplomatic setbacks.
Esmaili had previously said that the day of Iran-backed Hamas' attack on Israel. October 7, the trigger for the current Gaza war, will be recorded in the Iranian calendar as "The Day of the Epic of Palestinian Youth."