Iran's first president, Bani-Sadr, dies
Iran's first president, Abolhassan Bani-Sadr, passed away on October 9. He was 88.
Bani-Sadr died at a hospital in
French capital, Paris, after a long struggle with disease, his family said in a
statement.
The late Iranian president had been
living in the French capital since escaping Iran in 1981, after conflicts
emerged between him and Ruhollah Khomeini, the first guide of Islamic Republic
of Iran.
Khomeini used to accuse Bani-Sadr of
animosity to Iran's mullahs. On June 2, 1981, the Iranian parliament issued a condemnation
of Bani-Sadr, accusing him of working to remove the jurists from power.
The parliament also sacked the
Iranian president, which caused Bani-Sadr to flee to Paris, together with his
son-in-law, Massoud Rajavi, who became the leader of the People's Mujahedin of
Iran Organization.
He had not returned to his country
until his death.
Bani-Sadr was born on March 22, 1933
in Hamedan Province. His father, Nasrallah Bani-Sadr, was a prominent Persian
Shiite jurist.
Bani Sadr was an opponent of the
Shah and was imprisoned twice during his reign for being active in the ranks of
the National Front, an opposition movement that fought for Iran's independence
and the nationalization of the Iranian oil industry.
He lived in France when Khomeini
arrived in the French capital. Bani-Sadr received Khomeini at the airport, a
year before the Islamic Revolution of 1979.
He was in Paris to study finance and
economics. He obtained a bachelor's and a master's degree in business
administration.
Bani-Sadr was 49 years old when the
revolution succeeded. He returned to Iran and was appointed as the deputy minister
of economy and finance.
He was then appointed as acting minister
of foreign affairs for a short period in 1979, then minister of finance until
1980.
He then became the president of the Islamic
Republic of Iran after his success in a general election on January 26, 1980.
