The brother of the Iranian president has been sentenced to prison for corruption

The brother of the Iranian president Hbadan Rohani was sentenced to an indefinite term of imprisonment on charges of corruption, reported the semi-official agency NHI.

Hossein Fereidoun, close confidant of the president, may appeal the verdict, said the news agency. The accusations of financial irregularities date back to 2016 and have been submitted by the country's strict judicial system.

Rohani, a relatively moderate member of the Iranian political system, the family name was changed several decades ago, in a period of revolution, whereas the original was "un-Islamic". Fereidoun's trial began in April and has been on bail since he spent a night in jail in 2017.

The Conservatives, opposed to the Rohani government, had demanded that the brother be tried and he was accused of having received interest-free loans and of having lobbied for the striking off of a bank manager that he had been fired because of a scandal over his salary.

Fereidoun was part of the team that negotiated the Iranian nuclear deal with the world powers in 2015.

Iran has previously jailed former presidents' allies for similar charges.