By Matthew Russell Lee, Patreon
EDNY COURT / UN GATE, Sept 18 – UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres responded positively to entreaties by indicted Iran lobbyist Kaveh Afrisaibi, documents now sought to be withdrawn from the Federal court file but obtained by Inner City Press show.
Afrisiabi was illegal paid as a lobbyist by Iran Mission the UN for years, through the UN Federal Credit Union.
Now he is one of the five released / traded by the US Administration, along with unfreezing $6 billion, for Siamak Namazi, Emad Shargi, Morad Tahbaz, and two other U.S. citizens. Inner City Press had already reported Afrasiabi's inclusion - and its confirmation of his role - but now on September 18, 2023 in the docket it is confirmed: "MOTION for Leave to File Document cancelling the trial date and seeking other relief by Kaveh Lotfolah Afrasiabi." And Guterres is set to meet / celebrate with Raisi hours later.
On August 25, 2021 Afrasiabi had a proceeding in the EDNY. Judge Korman arrived late, saying he'd needed oxygen supplements to arrive. He chided the AUSA for delays in discovery, and said the 33,000 audio files should be produced by Friday, with a next conference on December 1 at 2 pm. He mused that the US might not deport Afrasiabi to Iran if convicted, just as he said the US at least for a time did not deport to China. Afrasiabi cut in to say he had worked for "a branch of the United Nations."
On September 9, quietly, a notice that Afrasiabi is set to plead guilty. To what? The notice: "SCHEDULING ORDER as to Kaveh Lotfolah Afrasiabi: Change of Plea Hearing set for 9/19/2022 at 12:00 PM in Courtroom 13D South before Magistrate Judge Ramon E. Reyes, Jr. Ordered by Magistrate Judge Ramon E. Reyes, Jr on 9/9/2022."
Then on September 15, just as quietly: "Dear Judge Korman, I write as stand-by counsel to Dr. Afrasiabi to inform the Court that Dr. Afrasiabi has decided to decline the government’s plea offer. Accordingly, I ask that this case no longer be referred to Magistrate Judge Reyes for a change of plea hearing."
On September 23, one more week given to reconsider: "Minute Entry for proceedings held before Judge Eric N. Vitaliano:Status Conference as to Kaveh Lotfolah Afrasiabi held on 9/23/2022 via Video Conference. Counsel for parties present. While the defendant informed the Court that he has declined the government's plea offer [148], after today's discussion, the Court allows 1 week for him to reconsider and avoid trial. Because the purpose of the delay is to allow discussions to take place that could eliminate the necessity for a trial, the Court finds that the considerations underlying the Speedy Trial Act are outweighed by the interests of justice and the time is excluded. Next status conference scheduled for 9/30/2022 at 1pm. The Court denies the defendant's [147] MOTION in Limine seeking a ruling on whether the Iranian mission to the UN is a "foreign principal" or "foreign government.'"
On October 6, 2022 Judge Korman held a conference and asked, What do you want to do, Mr. Afrasiabi?
He said, I cannot take the plea. I'll set a trial date.
He said, January 9.
The Federal Defender stand-by counsel said she is on trial in the SDNY January 3 for a month.
Afrasiabi asked to push it to May. Judge Korman said, No. He is trying to assign the case to another judge. He said, This is simple, he wrote articles, he was paid by Iran and knew he was supposed to register. Afrasiabi sputtered that his articles were not for the "humanitarian assistance." How very UN.
Hours later, the case was reassisgned to the EDNY Judge currently hearing the US v. Barrack UAE agent case: " ORDER REASSIGNING CASE as to Kaveh Lotfolah Afrasiabi. Reassigned to Judge Brian M. Cogan. Judge Edward R. Korman no longer assigned to the case. Please download and review the Individual Practices of the assigned Judges, located on our website. Attorneys are responsible for providing courtesy copies to judges where their Individual Practices require such. Ordered by Chief Judge Margo K. Brodie on 10/6/2022."
On October 11, a trial date was set: "NOTICE OF SCHEDULING: as to Kaveh Lotfolah Afrasiabi: Jury Selection set for 5/15/2023 before a Magistrate Judge, with Jury Trial to follow immediately thereafter before Judge Brian M. Cogan. Pretrial Conference set for 5/9/2023 at 04:45 PM in Courtroom 8D South before Judge Brian M. Cogan." Watch this site.
This in the same EDNY courthouse where Tom Barrack is on trial on UAE (as foreign principal) charges. Inner City Press is covering that case too.
Back on July 14, 2021 Inner City Press again in writing asked the UN for its role in Afrasiabi's payment, and other Iran cases. Spokesperson Florencia Soto Nino pretended there were no more questioned, and ended her briefing, providing no answers. Birds of a feather.
In April 2021 Afrasiabi wrote to PEN (which has done nothing about the UN roughing up and banning Inner City Press) that " in January 2021, the outgoing rogue Trump administration that made a mockery of US Constitution and international law orchestrated the fifth episode of my wrongful arrest and imprisonment, accusing me of violating the Foreign Agent Registration Act."
Reports to the UN, from a man now arrested under US FARA. And from Guterres and his spokespeople Stephane Dujarric and Melissa Fleming? Nothing. Impunity.
On February 17, Afrasiabi submitted to the EDNY court his lobbying to, and response from, jzarif [at] gmail.com to lobby UNSG Antonio Guterres, here.
Inner City Press, banned from the UN by Guterres, has repeated put in written questions about this to UN Spokespeople Stephane Dujarric and Melissa Fleming and to Guterres, including through SGcentral [at] un.org.
But despite an on-camera promise to at least answer Inner City Press' written questions, there have been no answers.
By contrast, when Iran illegal lobbyist Afrisiabi wrote to Guterres through SGCentral [at] un.org, he got an immediately response and solicitation to clarify and request a meeting, from Guterres staffer Susanne Rose.
A subsequent message from Rose to Afrasiabi makes clear that Afrasiabi was granted a meeting with UN official Darko Mocibob, and that Afriasiabi's illegal Iran lobbying was passed on to SG Guterres. Sample document on Inner City Press' DocumentCloud here, more on Patreon here including "Afrasiabi was operating under UN norms" and "Exhibit I: Afrasiabi’s email to UN Secretary General, responses from the Secretary General."
Likewise there have been not answers to this question, emailed and WhatsApp-ed on the morning of February 15 by Inner City Press to Guterres, Fleming, Dujarric and his deputy Farhan Haq, before publication of this article.
So where are the answers on this? And given Guterres' undisclosed links also with convicted UN bribery firm CEFC China Energy, and banning of the Press which asked, how can he be allowed the second five-year term is now seeking? Watch this site.
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