Hashemi Rafsanjani

Ali Akbar Hashemi Rafsanjani (Persian: اکبر هاشمی رفسنجانی Akbar Hāshemī Rafanjānī), Hashemi Bahramani (هاشمی بهرمانی) (August 25, 1934January 8, 2017) was an influential Iranian politician. He has been the Chairman of the Expediency Discernment Council of Iran from 1989 until his death in 2017.

Akbar Hashemi Rafsanjani
اکبر هاشمی رفسنجانی
Hashemi Rafsanjani at Beit Rahbari.jpg
4th President of Iran
In office
August 3, 1989 – August 2, 1997
Vice PresidentHassan Habibi
Preceded byAli Khamenei
Succeeded byMohammad Khatami
Personal details
Born(1934-08-25)August 25, 1934
Nough, Iran Iran
DiedJanuary 8, 2017(2017-01-08) (aged 82)
Tehran, Iran
Nationalityiranian
Political partyCombatant Clergy Association

Forbes magazine listed Rafsanjani in their list of richest people in the world and has written that as the real power behind the Iranian government, he "has more or less run the Islamic Republic for the past 24 years." [1] His wealth has earned him the infamous nickname of Akbar Shah in Iran.[2]

He served as President of Iran from 1989 to 1997, losing on the second ballot to Mahmoud Ahmadinejad in the 2005 election on his attempt for a third term in office. After this, he has tried to use his position in the Expediency Council to denounce President Ahmadinejad's administration. He said he would do some privatizations and change foreign policy. However, President Ahmadinejad has noted Rafsanjani's failure to make a difference between privatization and self takeover of government-owned companies. Ahmadinejad has also commmented on the foreign policies of Rafsanjani's administration which lead to sanctions against Iran in 1995 and 1996.[3][4]

Currently, one of his sons has been accused of receiving a bribe. Analysts expect that his son will not be put on trial, however.

Rafsanjani died on January 8, 2017 in Tehran from a heart attack, aged 82.[5]

References

  1. "Millionaire Mullahs - Forbes.com". www.forbes.com.
  2. Bednarz, Dieter (13 June 2005). "Future of the Middle East: The Last Chance for Reformers in Iran" – via Spiegel Online.
  3. http://www.tik.ir/display/?ID=38335&page=1 http://www.rajanews.com/News/?6881
  4. http://www.rajanews.com/News/?5081
  5. Erdbrink, Thomas (8 January 2017). "Ali Akbar Hashemi-Rafsanjani, Former President of Iran, Dies at 82". The New York Times. https://www.nytimes.com/2017/01/08/world/middleeast/iran-ali-akbar-hashemi-rafsanjani-dies.html?_r=0. Retrieved 8 January 2017. 

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