Akbar Hashemi Rafsanjani

Ali Akbar Hashemi Rafsanjani (, Akbar Hāshemī Rafanjānī), Hashemi Bahramani (; August 25, 1934 – January 8, 2017) was an influential Iranian politician. He was the Chairman of the Expediency Discernment Council of Iran from 1989 to his death.

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

Rafsanjani was President of Iran from 1989 to 1997 and lost on the second ballot to Mahmoud Ahmadinejad in the 2005 election on his attempt for a third term in office. He then ntried to use his position in the Expediency Discernment Council to denounce Ahmadinejad's administration. He wanted to carry out privatizations and change foreign policy. However,  Ahmadinejad noted Rafsanjani's failure to make a difference between  privatizations and taking over government-owned companies. Ahmadinejad also commmented on  the foreign policies of Rafsanjani's administration, which led  to sanctions against Iran in 1995 and 1996.http://www.tik.ir/display/?ID=38335&page=1  http://www.rajanews.com/News/?6881http://www.rajanews.com/News/?5081

Currently, one of his sons has been accused of receiving a bribe of $80,000,000 from Total oil company. Analysts expect that his son will not be put on trial, however. 

Rafsanjani died on January 8, 2017 in Tehran from a heart attack at the age of 82.

References

 Other websites 
Profile: Akbar Hashemi-Rafsanjani at BBC News
Profile:  Akbar Hashemi Rafsanjani  at www.aljazeera.com

Video clips
Rafsanjani and Al-Qaradhawi on Muslim Unity - Part 1
Rafsanjani and Al-Qaradhawi on Muslim Unity - Part 2

Category:1934 births
Category:2017 deaths
Category:Deaths from myocardial infarction
Category:Iranian clerics
Category:Iranian Muslims
Category:Speakers of the Islamic Consultative Assembly
Category:Presidents of Iran