Tehran, IRNA – Head of the Iranian International Police has referred to Canada’s refusal to return Iranian fugitive embezzler Mahmoud-Reza Khavari to Tehran, calling on Ottawa to differentiate between political issues and financial and security crimes.

Majid Karimi said that Iran is pursuing the case, noting that the judgments of the court have been provided to the Interpol and the Canadian police.

“Unfortunately, this case has gone out of the normal situation and has taken a political form,” he said.

Karimi acknowledged that there is not an agreement between Iran and Canada on extradition of prisoners, while noting that the two countries are Interpol member states and can cooperate and hold negotiations on extradition issues.  

He referred to the insistence of the Interpol on differentiating political issues from non-political ones, urging the need for Canada  to cooperate in this regard.   

After the revelation of a major fraud case in 2011, Khavari, a former Iranian banker, fled to Canada. Later, a trial in absentia gave him a 20-year imprisonment sentence for “disruption of the economic system” and another 10-year imprisonment for bribery.

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