Thread by @innercitypress

OK - it's Iran sanctions trial Day 2 in US v. Ali Sadr Hashemi Nejad; the defendant's lawyer yesterday said he "hates the Mullahs" patreon.com/posts/34567363 Inner City Press will again live tweet - thread

AUSA Krause: So these companies under the Stratus Group, they are all the subsidiaries?
Witness "Kazerani" (in Farsi): "Vale."
Interpreter: Yes.

Thread will continue.

AUSA Krause: When you traveled for Stratus, what passport did you use?
Witness Kazarani: Iranian.
AUSA: You first met with the government in response to a subpoena, correct?
Witness Kazarani: Yes.

AUSA: Would you rather to doing something other than testifying today under subpoena?
Witness Kazerani: Yes.
AUSA: No further questions.
Judge Nathan: Cross examination.
Defense lawyer Weingarten: At Stratus you rose from bottom level engineer to CEO?
Witness: Yes

Weingarten: The company was built by the defendant's father, correct?
Witness: Yes.
Weingarten: Did I hear you say you were unaware that the government of Iran mistreated the defendant's father?
Witness: Yes.

Ali Sadr's defense lawyer Weingarten: Have you heard of Evin Prison?
AUSA: Objection
Judge Nathan: Overruled.
Witness Kazerani: I have heard of it.
Weingarten: And did you know that the home of my client's father was raided?
AUSA: Objection
Judge Nathan: Overruled

Weingarten: Did you know my client's father was arrested this year?
AUSA Krause: Objection. Outside of the time frame.
Judge Nathan: Sustained. Stick to the time frame.
Weingarten: Did you now Mohamed Sadr was arrested in the past?
Witness: I have heard that.

Ali Sadr's lawyer Weingarten: Isn't it's true you live in Seattle now?
Witness: Yes.

[And Inner City Press realizes that the cryptic piece it reported on March 2 is this material witness, who got free lawyer backdated to Dec 2019: innercitypress.com/sdny221fifthfo…

Weingarten: You knew that the Stratus Group did projects all over the world, isn't that true?
Material Witness: Yes
Weingarten: Let's talk about the $50,000 you received, already in evidence. On July 18, 2013, 50k from my client's father, correct?
Witness: Yes.

Weingarten: This is his personal check, from his Swiss bank account, and you are now an American person with a green card, right? Did you think this violated US sanctions?
AUSA: Objection!
Judge Nathan: Overruled.
Witness: It was not a gift. It was money earned.

Weingarten: Did you deposit the check in your person account?
Witness: It was a wire.
Weingarten: Was it an American bank that received the wire?
Witness: Yes.
Weingarten: Did you run and tell the bank that Mohamed Sadr in Iran gave you this money?
Witness: No.

Now with jury out on break, AUSA doubles down: Yes, the Iranian Ambassador is a co-conspirator in this case.
Ali Sadr lawyer Heberlig: So is this Venezuelan diplomat also a co-conspirator?

This case is heating up: patreon.com/posts/34567363

Next witness is being asked about the St Kitts & Nevis "citizenship by investment" program through which Ali Sadr Hashemi Nejad got his SKN passport -- he might have gotten it cheaper in Dominica, but that's another (Inner City Press) story innercitypress.com/dominica1crook…

AUSA: So you would describe St Kitts & Nevis' citizenship by investment due diligence as lax then?
Witness: Yes.
Now Nejad's lawyer: You said there are nine countries that have citizenship by investment programs - doesn't Canada have one?
Witness: I'm not aware.

AUSA asks witness about UN Security Council sanctions on Iran. Note that US Attorney for the SDNY has brought two separate UN bribery cases: Ng Lap Seng and Patrick Ho of CEFC China Energy, which tried to buy an oil company linked to UN Sec-Gen @AntonioGuterres