Hassan Habibi

First Secretary of the Expediency Discernment CouncilIn office
12 April 1997 – 9 September 1997Appointed byAkbar Hashemi RafsanjaniChairmanAkbar Hashemi RafsanjaniPreceded byOffice establishedSucceeded byMohsen RezaeeMember of Expediency Discernment CouncilIn office
8 May 1991 – 31 January 2013Appointed byAli KhameneiChairmanAkbar Hashemi Rafsanjani1st First Vice President of IranIn office
21 August 1989 – 26 August 2001PresidentAkbar Hashemi Rafsanjani
Mohammad KhatamiPreceded byOffice establishedSucceeded byMohammad-Reza ArefSupervisor of Presidential Administration of IranIn office
5 September 1989 – 3 August 1997PresidentAkbar Hashemi RafsanjaniPreceded byMostafa Mir-SalimSucceeded byMohammad Hashemi RafsanjaniMinister of JusticeIn office
15 August 1984 – 29 August 1989PresidentAli KhameneiPrime MinisterMir-Hossein MousaviPreceded byMohammad AsghariSucceeded byEsmail ShooshtariMember of the Parliament of IranIn office
28 May 1980 – 28 May 1984ConstituencyTehran, Rey and ShemiranatMajority1,552,478 (72.7%)Minister of Culture and Higher EducationIn office
1 October 1979 – 28 May 1980Prime MinisterMehdi BazarganPreceded byAli ShariatmadariSucceeded byHassan Arefi Personal detailsBorn
(1937-01-29)29 January 1937
Tehran, Imperial State of IranDied31 January 2013(2013-01-31) (aged 76)
Tehran, IranPolitical partySpouseShafigheh Rahideh^[1]Awards Excellent Order of Independence^[2]
Order of Knowledge (1st class)^[3]

Hassan Ebrahim Habibi (Persian: حسن حبیبی; 29 January 1937 – 31 January 2013) was an Iranian politician, lawyer, scholar and the first vice president from 1989 until 2001 under Presidents Akbar Hashemi Rafsanjani and Mohammad Khatami. He was also a member of the High Council of Cultural Revolution and head of Academy of Persian Language and Literature from 2004 until his death in 2013.

Early life and education

Habibi was born on 29 January 1937. He studied sociology in France.^[4][5] He held a PhD in law and sociology. When he was a university student he visited Khomeini while the latter was in exile.^[6]

Career

Habibi was tasked by Ayatollah Khomenei to draft the prospective constitution of Iran when the latter was in exile in Paris.^[7] His version was heavily modified due to criticisms and the final text was approved by the election in November 1979.^[5]

Following the Iranian revolution, Habibi was named public spokesman for the revolutionary council.^[8] He was among the main architects of the first draft of Constitution of the Islamic Republic of Iran, which was later passed for more discussion to an elected Assembly of Experts for Constitution.^{[citation needed]} The assembly made significant changes in the original draft, e.g. by introducing the new position of "leader of the Islamic Republic" based on Khomeini's concept of Guardianship of the Islamic Jurists, which gave almost unlimited power to the clergy. The modified version was approved in a popular referendum in 1979. In the 1980 presidential election, Habibi ran for office, but received only ten percent of the vote against Banisadr's seventy percent.^[9] Habibi was backed by Mohammad Beheshti in the election process.^[9] In the same year he won a parliamentary seat, being a representative of the Islamic Republican Party.^[10]

Habibi served as the minister of justice under Prime Minister Mousavi. He was first vice president of Iran from 1989 to 2001, eight years under President Rafsanjani and then four years under President Khatami.^{[citation needed]} He was replaced by Mohammad Reza Aref in the post in Khatami's second term. He was also head of the Academy of Persian Language and Literature^[11] and a member of the Expediency Council.^[12]

Death

Habibi died on 31 January 2013. He was buried at the mausoleum of Imam Khomeini in Tehran on 1 February.^[12] The funeral service was attended by leading Iranian political figures, including President Ahmedinejad.^[12]

Work

Habibi is the author of several books, including God (1981), Society, Culture, Politics (1984), Islam and the Crisis of Our Time (1984), In the Mirror Of Rights: Views Of International Rights, Comparative Rights And Sociology (1988), Seeking the Roots (editing & translation) (1994), Casework of An Ages Student (1997), One Word Out Of Thousands (2 vol.) (1998-2001) and General International Rights (2 vol.) (2003).^[13]

Political affiliation

Habibi was director of the National Front publications in Europe during the 1960s. In the capacity, he was involved in publication and distribution of Payam-e-Daneshjou, organ of the party's student wing.^[14]

Habibi was a member of the Freedom Movement of Iran, before he defected to the Islamic Republican Party after the Iranian Revolution.^[15]

References

External links

• Media related to Hasan Habibi at Wikimedia Commons

Political offices
Preceded by Office established	First Vice President of Iran 1989–2001	Succeeded by Mohammad-Reza Aref
Party political offices
Preceded by Jalaleddin Farsi	Islamic Republican Party nominee for President of Iran 1980	Succeeded by Mohammad-Ali Rajaei