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Monitoring in trial against Iman L.
Since June 2014, the Marburg monitors have been observing the proceedings against the German-Iranian citizen Iman J. L. and the Iranian citizen Davood A. at the Higher Regional Court (OLG) Frankfurt.
In the indictment dated November 28, 2012, the Federal Prosecutor accuses the defendants of having exported aircraft engines suitable for use in unmanned aerial vehicles—so-called “drones”—to Iran without official authorization, thereby violating the Foreign Trade and Payments Act.
The defendant L. is alleged to have acquired a total of 61 aircraft engines from a German manufacturer in 2008 and 2009 through an import-export company he managed. These engines are suitable for powering drones of the “Ababil III” system, which are used by the Iranian armed forces as target drones, reconnaissance drones, and combat drones. Defendant L. is said to have shipped the engines to Iran via a freight forwarding company. To conceal the exports so that customs authorities would not recognize them as requiring approval, defendant L. is alleged to have declared them as deliveries of jet ski engines.
The defendant A., based in Iran, is alleged to have provided the financial means necessary for the purchase and transport of the engines and to have sold at least part of the engines.
The State Security Senate of the Higher Regional Court had already opened the main proceedings by decision of June 18, 2013, and determined that the case should be conducted before the competent economic criminal chamber of the Wiesbaden Regional Court. The Federal Court of Justice, however, allowed the indictment to proceed to the main hearing before the Higher Regional Court Frankfurt am Main by decision of October 15, 2013, after the Federal Prosecutor lodged an immediate complaint against this decision.
Since the defendant Davood A. did not appear at the first day of trial, the Senate decided to try him separately.
The reports by the monitors follow: