Colleagues pay tribute to businessman killed in Istanbul

Iranian businessman Saeed Karimian was shot dead in Istanbul by unidentified gunmen last weekend

Saeed Karimian, 44, who was shot dead in Istanbul. Courtesy Kathy Aria

DUBAI // Colleagues of Saeed Karimian, the Iranian businessman who was shot dead in ­Istanbul by unidentified gunmen last weekend, paid tribute to a kind and generous boss, ­father and friend.

Karimian, the owner of Dubai’s Gem TV Group, which operates more than 20 Persian-language TV channels, was in Istanbul’s Maslak neighbourhood on Saturday night when his car was ­attacked by gunmen. He was killed at the scene, while his ­Kuwaiti business partner, who was in the car with Karimian, died later in hospital.

The founder and owner of Gem Group, which shows foreign films and western television programmes, was wanted in Iran after being tried in absentia last year for crimes against the state.

Kathy Aria, an area manager for Gem Group in Dubai, said Karimian was a great man and a great leader.

“We are finding it really hard to believe that he has gone,” said a tearful Ms Aria, who had known Karimian for 11 years.

“He taught me many things about life and how to develop a career in media.”

Karimian, who was also a British citizen, was the father of a 17-year-old son who lives in Istanbul. His attackers were able to flee the scene. Their vehicle was found burnt out by the side of the road in a nearby district.

Gem Group, which had more than 650 employees in Dubai, Istanbul, the United States, London, Canada and Malaysia, was founded by Karimian in London in 2006 but later moved its headquarters to Dubai.

Staff at the company’s offices in Dubai were given three days off to mourn their boss’s death.

“He had no problems with any­one or any political group,” Ms Aria said. “I can’t guess who murdered him.”

Turkish police have taken laptops and mobile phones belonging to Karimian as part of investigations into his death and to check if the businessman had received any threats.

Ms Aria said Gem Group would “continue to deliver the message of our deceased founder”.