TEHRAN - Judiciary Chief Ebrahim Raisi has slammed certain Western countries for harboring Iranian criminals and fugitives who have looted public money.

It is against international law to harbor a fugitive criminal with charges of economic corruption, Raisi said during a meeting of the Supreme Judiciary Council.

He tasked the prosecutor general and the deputy Judiciary chief for international affairs to pursue extradition of fugitives charged with economic corruption to the country.

Judiciary has started holding public trials of individuals involved in major economic corruption cases since August 2018.

Leader of the Islamic Revolution Ayatollah Ali Khamenei has permitted the Judiciary to take special measures in order to confront economic corruption and called for “swift and just” legal action against financial crimes.

Mahmoud Reza Khavari, who was chief of Bank Melli Iran, fled to Canada in 2011. He was involved in Iran’s biggest embezzlement case of roughly $2.6 billion.  Despite Tehran’s frequent official requests, Canada has refused to extradite him.  Interpol had placed him on its red notice wanted list in February 2013 but removed his name in October 2016.

‘Anti-racism protests cannot be suppressed by violence’

Raisi also said that protests against racism in the United States cannot be suppressed by violence exercised by security forces 

He also criticized the international community for keeping silence over violence against U.S. protesters.

Protests have started across the U.S. and some other cities around the world over brutal killing of an African-American man in Minneapolis.

George Floyd died on May 25 after being pinned down by a white officer despite yelling: “I cannot breathe”.

Reportedly, the unrest over Floyd’s death came to Trump’s doorstep as demonstrators circled the White House grounds on May 30, chanting “I can’t breathe” and “Black Lives Matter.”

NA/PA