Former Green Party MP Golriz Ghahraman denied discharge without conviction - Career in tatters

Her once-promising political career now in tatters, former Green Party MP Golriz Ghahraman endured another blow this afternoon as she stood in an Auckland courtroom to be sentenced for shoplifting nearly $9000 worth of retail items from high-end stores.
Judge June Jelas denied the 43-year-old former barrister’s request for a discharge without conviction, decreasing her odds of being allowed to revive her legal career after a seven-year hiatus prompted by her ascension to Parliament.
Ghahraman, who was allowed to sit in the courtroom gallery rather than the dock, lowered her eyes and looked towards a supporter as the decision was announced.
The judge imposed fines totalling $1600 and court costs of $260. Supervision was not imposed.
Editor: Ben Dickens
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[@paulvlug-zu4tz]

Does NZ have a 501 agreement with Iran?

[@Sam-vn9jm]

😂❤

[@heatherburton8756]

Nice way to say thanks NZ for welcoming me here and given a chance of a good life and future. She got off too light 😡

[@brandon5012]

They all show this type of gratitude..

[@Greg-tr1ck]

One way ticket to Iran.

[@davidc2509]

Got off lightly.

[@JoBlack-dg6ey]

Justice system needs to publically explain why someone who was not a politician & a lawyer would get put in prison

[@stevemowat4294]

She is a disgrace

[@mfnzer]

Always the activist!

[@Izzatmaff]

What a shame if I would have done that I would have been jailed. She is giving interviews . Now she will be activist for ptsd.

[@HuongAnnabel]

Nz has turned into commusim

[@Izzatmaff]

@@HuongAnnabel stealing is one thing and leaving the country is another thing.

[@henningschmidt8569]

What’s with the political statement in court? Why is she allowed to wear a scarf like that? Disgrace!!!

[@ramzeechloe4866]

Supporting palestine with scarf On after caught shoplifting. Cards of innocence and peace loving pulled out.

[@jasperhorace7147]

What do you expect. She belongs to the Green Party. No integrity.

[@yumsanmei]

Free Palestine from Islam

[@JoBlack-dg6ey]

It would be completely wrong for someone who is a lawyer to escape without conviction on the basis that it will damage their career when your average citizen would be imprisoned

[@spider-man910]

No one is above the law , she had a criminal habbit she could have stopped it at will ....if no prison time at least give her PD some type of community work would be appropriate ...Youd think a lawyer would know better. ????

[@kerrymolloy5912]

in fact she got off bloody lightly . mental health defence -load of codswallop.

[@mothet9812]

We have a farm . Our farm truck came back from farm with dusty number plate . We just parked in off street parking in front of our house . Auckland city council parking warden fined about dusty number plate . We didn’t do any criminal cases . This is justice for innocent people ?

[@jarrodgiddens7094]

Deport

[@lesleywallace5748]

Make her pay back the value she took from the stores ,metal is a cope out, you went travelling out of the country and not metal then,

[@danielphillips4399]

How many time did she shoplift and steal and not get caught. I would say it would be more than likely, more times that you could count. I don't buy the whole PTSD excuse. For goodness sake she held one of the highest posts you can achieve in New Zealand as a Member of Parliament. The very least she could have done is to seek help for her problems. Either from a friend or family member and a health professional.

[@geofflewis8599]

..wins the prize for 'stupid'..

[@iancampbell1444]

She likes playing those Cards.. dont she...

[@Rebecca-nx5ec]

😂 what supporters

[@12time12]

Always simping plasticine with these loony green types.

[@mrpaisleyshirt]

Comments are on. God, what a wonder.

[@scottandchels6813]

I had to pay $400 to the New Plymouth council for parking in the wrong spot while sleep overnight. I didn't cause harm, didn't steal, didn't disrupt or be disrespectful. What a joke.

[@Rebecca-nx5ec]

A bloody disgrace,

[@SamtanKorito]

One rule for them, another for us. As a side note I live in New Plymouth and the council are shit

[@scottandchels6813]

@@Rebecca-nx5ec tell me about it. I was only in this designated freedom camping spot from midnight to 6am because I had to travel to New Plymouth for a family funeral at the last minute. The council didn't give a stuff. No sticker $400

[@scottandchels6813]

@@SamtanKorito if I assaulted the guy that gave me the ticket and pleaded PTSD (returned servicemen) I would have got off free.

[@Rebecca-nx5ec]

@@scottandchels6813 always revenue gathering as their top priorities

[@barefootonasandybeach638]

Somethings not quite right here. Disgraced as a politician, suffering mental distress from her early years and yet so politically aware that she turned up in Court wearing a keffiyeh. This young lady is Iranian, not Arab. The keffiyeh is also traditionally male attire. So why the scarf? Could it be that this remorseful lady took this opportunity of humiliation to platform her support for the Palestinian movement.. and she want us to believe her play acting as remorse..

[@Rebecca-nx5ec]

Very excellent points

[@willtekata1763]

Mm.good point.

[@valeriehughes1008]

Well pointed out!

[@zhifangwang1367]

Absolutely spot on!

[@Juanita-gf4te]

Iran supports Palestine and her people. And men and women of both Palestine and Iran as well as many other countries wear the keffiyah as well. I know that some people begin shoplifting when they are in psychological distress they are unable to articulate. They are not typical shoplifters and don't try to sell the goods and they don't need the money. This happened to my Aunty who began shoplifting at age 46. She was happily married and well off.....the cops knew she wasn't a typical thief and took her to a psychologist. It came out over time that she had been molested by her father for the whole of her childhood and she was not able to tell anyone. The shoplifting was a cry for help, to draw attention to her distress, and it was all quite unconscious until she got help. When the truth came out her father was elderly and had dementia so they were unable to prosecute him. His wife kicked him out of the house and made him live in the shed for years until he died.

[@MsV160]

What a joke. Even worse for a Greenie, she was quite happy to drive away in a diesel ute. I'm surprised she did blame her predicament on climate change😆

[@HuongAnnabel]

Climate change is just rubbish!

[@macunion1225]

the greens are the worst , darlene exploiting immigrants , turei with bene fraud , that gay mexican pulling strings to get his BF here

[@brandon5012]

Apparently, 350k per year wasn't enough... Class act, left in the exact type of vehicle she advocated to ban.

[@angeldark8812]

If she wanted to get out of politics there was a better way to do so... a letter of resignation would have done the trick nicely!

[@valeriehughes1008]

Exactly! What a ridiculous excuse to make! She turns up to court with a further insult to us all... wearing her Palestinian Activist scarf which is worn by Hamas activists... tells exactly what she is all about and where her sympathies lie! Some of her green mates are even wearing them in Parliament... this needs to stop also.

[@jasperhorace7147]

Greens continue to prove their total lack of integrity and responsibility.

[@gomy95]

Wanted to get out but she didn’t take the MP off her fb profile until months after. It’s bs, she was hanging onto any hope of remaining in there

[@user-ug5zc4zy2o]

I wonder if she has a receipt for the Hamas scarf

[@user-rl5nd3ys8p]

😂😂😂❤

[@Rebecca-nx5ec]

😂😂😂😂

[@maximus.4656]

Face nappys are cheap she can afford them rest a kleptomaniac is a kleptomaniac possibly stole it from somewhere.😂

[@peter12266]

Your a simpleton.

[@Juanita-gf4te]

Thats stupid. People al around the world wear the Keffiyeh in support of Palestine. It does not mean they support Hamas, which many Palestinians do not. You need to educate yourself.......

[@malcolmhayward4431]

Check out billy biceps the protection man ,,, what a joke

[@GOLD54321]

THERE THE ONES SHE WAS CAUGHT WITH, WHAT ABOUT THE OTHERS?. NOT HER FIRST RODEO AROUND THE BLOCK.

[@jasperhorace7147]

Likely systematic and sustained.

[@patu5798]

She’s getting into a ute ? Hahahaha. Thought they hated them

[@F_Tim1961]

It's been blessed by the allatollahs - it does not produce CO2 or methane. Safer than a Waikato cow. They are on Trademe all the time you know.. Wise up mate.

[@HuongAnnabel]

Green activists are full of sh...

[@stevesmythe6387]

Why was she not jailed? Anyone else would have been.

[@JoBlack-dg6ey]

There needs to be a public explanation as to why? The justice system has no credibility

[@danstephenson5164]

Took no responsibility for her actions, as expected. Used all sorts of made up excuses to justify deliberate actions. She got off lightly.

[@choppy53]

If she wants to support hamas and 70% of Palestinian people who support Hamas pack your bags and go to Gaza

[@MaxSafeheaD]

How would you respond to 70 years of genocidal colonisation against your family?

[@Chris-d6m6o]

​@@MaxSafeheaD dunno, go ask a European.

[@Motumatai3]

So distressed that she left court and immediately went into a media interview...Not the sort of thing a contrite lawbreaker would do. Just gotta love the limelight. esp with the keffiyeh!

[@HuongAnnabel]

Yeah she acts like a celebrity!! This is how the left has turned the society into.

[@sventextor1309]

The Keffiyeh lets us all know she is quite comfortable with October 7th. Absolute disgrace.

[@yingle6027]

There is definitely double standard when it comes to left and right politicians. Had David Seymour done this, TVNZ would not be engaging in a PR campaign to make excuses for the behaviour as they did tonight.

[@JoBlack-dg6ey]

True

[@cyrillawless]

If she was discharged without conviction it would be a gross miscarriage of justice. You can’t tell me she didn’t know she was doing wrong.

[@Longtack55]

Clearly you have no idea of the notion of the biblical principle of "eye for an eye" let alone the way Justice is administered.

[@HeartFeltGesture]

Yeah she knew it was wrong, but there are other factors, its classic case of self-sabotage from Complex Post Traumatic Stress Disorder. How do I know? Ive done the same, and it went against my better judgement to behave that way, but I was unconsciously driven by my trauma, to sabotage a good thing I had going. I realize we cant expect the law to pander to such complexities, because after all, its an ass.

[@valeriehughes1008]

Absolutely agree Cyril - she is nothing but a common thief and in her own country she would have been treated most harshly and by now would be minus her hands. She has taken much from our country - a country who took her in as a refugee and invested much in helping her to further her education and in return she has abused us greatly. She should have been deported.

[@bazjones5282]

@@HeartFeltGesture She is responsible for her actions.

[@bazjones5282]

@@Longtack55 Thanks for the rant that is self-contradictory, if you actually understood the comment you are attacking.

[@rogeratkinson7209]

Crooked lawyer - and a liar.

[@johnr3150]

lol. Isn’t that the job description of many lawyers?

[@douglastassell4070]

She stole 4 times apparently, probably more. She was in a privileged position as an MP, therefore she should have been setting a high standard of behaviour. An example should be made of this person, probably jail time and upon completion of her sentence she should be deported at her expense back to Iran. This person has abused the privilege of being in New Zealand. If the court does not do this then I call upon the Military to step in and make sure is deported.

[@geofreyr]

That is ridiculous, you don't enforce that kind of justice for a petty thief! Had she done something terrible, then yeah sure.

[@keepingitreal618]

Still wearing her t towel🙄

[@F_Tim1961]

She has to do that .. she 'll claim it was a race based decision now The whole Pakeha country had it in for me yatha yata.. writes a book .. moves to Synney Town and becomes a professional victim forced out of her homeland second homeland by a Racist xenophobic judge will be the narrative .. My crystal ball tells all... she's the Willie Jackson of the Iranian contingent maybe.

[@MichaelLaw-t1c]

I thought it was a table cloth if she was back in Iran she would have lost her hand.

[@F_Tim1961]

Some So_b has killed off my sarcastic reply . Censorship is alive and well in the Long white cloud..

[@F_Tim1961]

@@MichaelLaw-t1c Actually it is a sign to her friends that if she gets sent to Paremoremo it's fine by her to blow a hole in the wall to spring her... secret sign like a Masonic handshake but not from England.. more to the East... long way to the East...

[@navalfa7291]

Its a slap on us and our justice system. He is gone walk away just like that isnt it?

[@HuongAnnabel]

Noone above the law. I can go out shoplifting due to my mental health issue????

[@Mark-ef8mp]

What would the sentence on 4 counts of theft be in Gaza

[@desertroad4378]

Maybe she thought that wearing the tea towel into court would be a get out of jail free card, I would imagine that any good lawyer would have advised her otherwise.

[@lightforce3642]

Theif Theif Theif and still a Theif

[@mothet9812]

Why she didn’t steal in k mart , the warehouse such as where low income people always buy affordable items. She always chose expensive things .,Oh very smart mental health woman !

[@lloydbeattie9370]

Diversity ❤s confusion.

[@brettwilkinson9529]

Pathetic decision from the judge. This self centred girl hasn't learnt anything about accountability. Our system is far too soft.

[@HuongAnnabel]

Nz has turned into communism

[@Tc-zb8ht]

Another Green Grifter gone.....Come on down Darleen Tana You are next to Green Grifter to be dispatched.

[@richardansell1895]

You did not show her co offender in the video.

[@AccompliceRS]

Haha shame

[@gaviny-w3569]

She got off lightly!

[@grunta4437]

You have to be a imagrint to get off this shit ,a local would be in jail ,

[@Richyw0278]

Hard childhood victim card is such a BS thing to use as an excuse for shoplifting. What a waste of oxygen. Accept you are guilty and face the consequences

[@tsbrowne6787]

She's lucky - she got off lightly. One rule for them, another for us.

[@liamhawke6012]

Good. I'm elated to see our justice system remain integrous no matter the status or creed of the accused; furthermore, beyond any reasonable doubt Ghahraman is now convicted. If Ghahraman were discharged without conviction that would've been a gross miscarriage of justice.

[@majorlaff8682]

No qualms about robbing taxpayers so certainly not worried about robbing private businesses.

[@nzreggae2534]

She actually blamed her serial professional thievery on racism. Why Is she still in our country?

[@stevesmythe6387]

The fine should have been at least equal to the value of the goods stolen. What message does this lenient sentence send?

[@Sarah-ne6cv]

I would be pretty miserable too if I was in the green party.

[@chriswatt37]

Career change - set up a clothing boutique 😂

[@sunstar1630]

The Ali Bab of NZ politics.

[@keepingitreal618]

Won’t be doing much travelling now 😁

[@Rebecca-nx5ec]

Convict and deport 🤔

[@valeriehughes1008]

@@Rebecca-nx5ec Too true - 501 back to Iran!

[@pauljones3062]

Well you let these Islamics in & just like Denmark France Germany & the UK we will pay dearly in time.

[@danielbaker3822]

Amateur...right under the camera 😂😂😂😂😂

[@F_Tim1961]

You can give her tips down the track.. clearly you know how to do it and not get nicked by the Rozzers, Jacko.

[@mikebrown7269]

@@F_Tim1961 What a f'ing nob 'Timmo'. We don't have 'rozzers' dipstick.

[@stevenward2827]

Whens a camera stopped a politician from committing crimes or abuse?

[@tonymunro5693]

She deserves no sympathy. Everyone knew she would play the trauma /mental anguish card,its what they all do

[@JUSTME-mb6lg]

But imports know they can play our DEI system

[@MichelleTaane]

She needs to do some community service at the shops she ripped off.

[@pauljones3062]

Community service in Gaza & can wear her Hamas scarf.

[@yumsanmei]

Free Palestine from Islam

[@nzreggae2534]

What are the punishments given to non celebrity NZ'ers for equivalent crimes. If this Persian scam artist has anything to do with NZ legal authority or our democracy in NZ...

[@NiaAkeimo]

In her interview she dodged every question and didn’t answer with a straight forward answer it was just excuse after excuse. Post traumatic stress doesn’t cause you to go out and steal LOL It’s common sense to just quit and common sense as someone apart of one of nzs government groups to not involve yourself in any crime. SMH

[@charlietwotimes]

Funny how her so-called mental disorder was solely focused on shoplifting from boutique stores & not K-Mart or the Warehouse.

[@theandrewbarry6347]

You can reason with anything with the philosophies of this world

[@danielxbox28]

she was a baby when Iran Iraq war happened? Iran has been peacefull for the last 40 years wth....

[@chauhansotia8574]

If she wanted to get out of politics, just resigned. There was no need to go shoplifting?

[@HappyHappy-xr7qb]

Harsh too harsh.

[@JennySim-u1s]

What's funny Guy Williams doing there?

[@williamrussell174]

Looking for more comedy material.

[@mikebrown7269]

Been banging the thing for a while.

[@janetamplin7318]

Is he her partner?

[@scottandchels6813]

Was

[@Rebecca-nx5ec]

​@@mikebrown7269😱🤮

[@damiangreen3510]

My auntty bought her book and gave us inspiration. Dude... Law graduate, party i vote for and minister of What Lady? Really!!!

[@stevedynell3330]

Maybe Ms. Ghahraman should not have run for the New Zealand Parliament in the 1st place, or she should have retired from it in 2020 or in 2023. Instead, she should probably have worked actively in a number of NGOs (Non-governmental organizations). Frankly, her behavior seems somewhat erratic and deeply logical or self-destructive. May God have mercy on her and lead her to repentance, and into a living, permanent, and growing faith in Jesus Christ as her personal Savior. This should be our prayer for a maximum number of individuals across the Earth.

[@RatnaketuDavidMoore]

❤. Green was shit.

[@HuongAnnabel]

Agreed

[@Vic-l3l]

she could of at least said chur buddah and we would of known

[@Juanita-gf4te]

My Aunty aged 46 began shop lifting and was caught. The police knew she was no typical shoplifter. They took her to a psychologist and came to light that she has been molested by her father the whole of her childhood. She never told anybody but for decades it was eating her up inside. She couldn't bring herself to tell anyone until she had been seeing the psychologist for a while. The shop lifting was a cry for help, a way to draw attention to her distress. She was not charged. Her horrible father by this time had dementia so they couldn't do anything to him.....but his wife kicked him out of the house and made him live in the shed for years until he died.

[@naisyjohns]

Aaaah ok so all those Ram Raiders should be asked in court if they were molested........molested or not, stealing other people's properties is NOT ok

[@Juanita-gf4te]

@@naisyjohns You don't get it. The shoplifting is a symptom of underlying psychological problems and they take no action to get away with it.....unlike real shop lifters who do it for profit.

[@naisyjohns]

@@Juanita-gf4te no, you don't get it. Shoplifting is shoplifting. It doesn't matter if you did it because you were molested or not

[@geofreyr]

​@@Juanita-gf4te I don't think you get it. There are some situations where the reasons for the actions are worthy of consideration. For example, a child stealing food because they are not being cared for by adults and are hungry. But claiming that some distant trauma of abuse or whatever are the reasons, is meaningless really. Everyone on earth has some kind of trauma but when we get caught stealing some shit we like from our favorite shop, most people just admit they stole it cos they wanted it and that was really bad, rather than invoke some bullshit childhood event from 20 years ago! lol.

[@Chris.Davies]

I feel quite sad for her. I hope she gets the help she needs.

[@ShayneManiapoto]

no body is perfect

[@jasperhorace7147]

But they aren’t all thieves.

[@yumsanmei]

Or Terrorist

[@yumsanmei]

Free Palestine from Islam

[@novak4594]

Leave the girl alone. Are any of us perfect ?

[@CitizenofAucklandSilentAudits]

You must be such a feral, she’s a thief.

[@annalisefelix6154]

she didnt STEAL once, not even twice. some one who murders is a murderer. someone who steals us a thief, iow, a kleptomaniac

[@yumsanmei]

Free Palestine from Islam

[@HuongAnnabel]

Nothing to do with being perfect. As a politician she must set a good example for those who believe in her party!

[@HuongAnnabel]

@@CitizenofAucklandSilentAudits yeah liberals opinion is kind of sick.

[@mikebrown7269]

Nowhere near severe enough.. As for her legal career, the bar association will just put her on hold for a couple of years, then it'll be back at it. Keep in mind it is a criminal, and seen to be so. Literally.

[@michael2014]

Such a joke. Comes to our country and goes on about how hard life is with a respectable job making good money and I wanted out. Well quit your job! She’s only sorry she got caught!

[@cherriewaaka6206]

Shame