Bribery & corruptionCourts & justice

Iranian court gives two ex-ministers one- and two-year terms in $3.4-3.7 billion Debsh Tea case, drawing criticism of leniency

Confidence: Corroborated · 2 sourcesIran · Oct 6, 2026

Subject of this story

Javad Sadatinejad, Former Minister of Agriculture Jihad (Iran)

Reza Fatemi Amin, Former Minister of Industry, Mine and Trade (Iran)

Debsh Tea

Akbar Rahimi-Darabad, CEO, Debsh Tea

Judiciary of Iran

What happened

On 4 March 2025 an Iranian court sentenced former agriculture minister Javad Sadatinejad and former industry minister Reza Fatemi Amin to one and two years, convicting them of 'complicity in disrupting the country's economic system'. Debsh Tea CEO Akbar Rahimi-Darabad received 66 years (25 to be served concurrently) and was ordered to repay about $2.38 billion; 42 or more defendants were sentenced in a case reported at $3.4 to $3.7 billion. The Tehran newspaper Ham Mihan wrote that former ministers should have faced stricter, not more lenient, sentences.

By the numbers (1)

● confirmed by a primary document · ○ reported

Figures

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An Iranian court sentenced Akbar Rahimi-Darabad to 66 years in the Debsh Tea case and ordered him to repay over $2.38 billion.$2.4B

Akbar Rahimi-DarabadStated as "over" $2.38 billion.

1 source

Geo NewsRahimi-Darabad 66 years, must repay over $2.38 billion

Sources (2)

Iran InternationalAs former ministers, the convicted individuals should have faced stricter, not more lenient, sentences (Ham Mihan).

Geo NewsConvicted of complicity in disrupting the country's economic system; Rahimi-Darabad 66 years, must repay over $2.38 billion.