Deputy of ex-Iranian president remanded in custody

By Narges Rezai and Ahmet Dursun

ISTANBUL

A deputy of former Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad has been remanded in custody on corruption charges, said a court statement on Tuesday.

Hamid Baghaei, who served under Ahmadinejad, was remanded after an appeals court approved the decision, according to a statement from the Tehran Courthouse.

Gholam-Hossein Esmaili, the head of Tehran province’s Justice Department, announced earlier that Baghaei had been sentenced to 15 years in prison plus flogging and also had to pay fines.

Baghaei was arrested over a corruption scandal and was put in prison last July 9, until he was taken to hospital after he started a hunger strike.

On July 26, he was released on bail of around $5 million.