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Iran's webs of corruption prevalent, but hidden

Corruption under former President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad has proven too systematic and complex to undo without major reforms.
Iran's Vice President Mohammad Reza Rahimi speaks to Cuban officials in Havana's Revolution Square September 7, 2011. Rahimi is on an official visit to Cuba to take part in the Iran-Cuba 15th joint commission meeting.  REUTERS/Desmond Boylan (CUBA - Tags: POLITICS) - RTR2QX37

Iran’s judiciary this month sentenced former First Vice President Mohammad Reza Rahimi to jail time for undisclosed corruption charges, the biggest scalp yet pulled from the Mahmoud Ahmadinejad cadre.

Accusations of corruption in Iran rarely result in a conviction, unless there is a political interest in making them public. In this case, Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, who effectively controls the levers of justice in Iran, “has permitted Rahimi’s conviction, albeit without disclosing his crimes, to let out some steam and to try and convince the public that the system is taking corruption seriously,” a Tehran-based analyst, speaking on condition of anonymity, told Al-Monitor.

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