Mohsen Rezaee
| Mohsen Rezaee محسن رضایی |
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|---|---|
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| Rezaee in 2012 | |
| Secretary of the Expediency Discernment Council | |
| Incumbent | |
| Assumed office 22 October 1997 |
|
| President | Mohammad Khatami Mahmoud Ahmadinejad |
| Preceded by | Bijan Namdar Zangeneh |
| Personal details | |
| Born | 9 September 1954 Masjed Soleyman, Khuzestan Province, Iran |
| Nationality | Iranian |
| Political party | Moderation and Development Party (since 2005) |
| Other political affiliations |
Independent (1997–2005) |
| Spouse(s) | Masoumeh Khadang (m. 1975) |
| Children | Ahmad (b. 1977, d. 2011) Sara (b. 1979) Ali (b. 1979) Zahra (b. 1982) Mahdieh (b. 1984) |
| Alma mater | University of Tehran |
| Profession | Politician, writer and former militant |
| Religion | Shia Islam |
| Website | Official website |
| Military service | |
| Allegiance | AGIR |
| Years of service | 1980–1997 |
| Rank | Major General |
| Unit | Infantry |
| Commands | IRGC Chief Commander |
| Battles/wars | Iran–Iraq War |
Mohsen Rezaee Mirgha'ed, also spelled Rezaei , Rezai and Rezaie (Persian: محسن رضایی میرقائد), born Sabzevar Rezaee Mirgha'ed[citation needed] (born 9 September 1954 in Masjed Soleyman, Khuzestan), is an Iranian politician, economist and former military commander, currently the Secretary of the Expediency Discernment Council of the Islamic Republic of Iran. Before that, Rezaee was the Iranian Revolutionary Guard Corps chief commander for 16 years.
Shortly before and during the 1979 revolution, he was, like Ali Shamkhani and Gholāmḥusayn Ṣefātī-Dezfūlī, a member of the radical group "Mansuran".
Rezaee ran as a conservative presidential candidate in the 2009 Iranian elections,[1] coming third with 1.7 percent of the vote, behind winner Mahmoud Ahmadinejad and reformist runner-up Mir-Hossein Mousavi.[2] Rezaee is closely associated with the news website Tabnak.[3]
Contents |
Education [edit]
While studying mechanical engineering at Iran University of Science and Technology before the 1979 Islamic Revolution, Rezaee switched to economics after the Iran–Iraq War, studying at Tehran University, where he continued until 2001, when he received his Ph.D. in 2001.
He co-founded Imam Hossein University and currently teaches there.
Military career [edit]
Rezaee became Chief Commander of the Iranian Revolutionary Guard Corps in 1981, when he was only 27 years old, and remained in the post until 1997, when he left the military forces for the Expediency Discernment Council, where he became the Secretary and the Chair of the Commission for Macroeconomics and Commerce. Arguably, he was the most powerful leader of Iran during the 1980s as his military organisation gained support agains Saddam Hussein and also had the major say on what religious and political leaders it supported.
Alleged involvement in 1994 AMIA bombing [edit]
In November 2006, Argentine Judge Rodolfo Canicoba Corra issued international arrest warrants for Rezaee, six other Iranians and one Lebanese in connection with the attacks on 18 July 1994, a suicide bombing of the Jewish cultural center in Buenos Aires, Argentina, which resulted in the death of 85 people and serious injuries to 151.[4] The attack on the Jewish cultural center came two years after the 1992 terrorist bombing of the Israeli embassy in Buenos Aires. In 1998, Rezaee's son, Ahmad, defected to the United States, where he told officials that the attack on the Israeli embassy in Buenos Aires was planned in Tehran. The son told U.S. authorities that he had accompanied his father to Lebanon to witness the training.[4] Ahmad Rezaei returned to Iran after a short time and declared that his statements about his father's involvement in the bombing was baseless.[5] Mohsen Rezaei has been on the official Wanted list of Interpol since March 2007, for allegations of "crimes against life and health, hooliganism, vandalism and damage" related to the 1994 AMIA bombing case.[6][7][8]
Rezaee rejected the allegations. "These charges were a sheer lie" he told the Los Angeles Times in June 2009.[9]
Presidential campaigns [edit]
Rezaee was a candidate of the presidential election of 2005, but withdrew on 15 June 2005, only two days before the election. Rezaee mentioned he was withdrawing from the race for "the integration of the votes of the nation" and "their effectiveness". He did not endorse any candidate.[10]
On 23 April 2009, he announced that he entered the 2009 presidential race, after trying to find another conservative to run against President Ahmadinejad which he lost.[1] He is also a candidate in the 2013 upcoming election.
Views [edit]
Iranian opposition [edit]
Rezaei stated that the ongoing trials of so called 'prisoners' was an unjust act. On August 2, 2009 Rezaee issued a letter on behalf of the Expediency Council of which he is the secretary, condemning the government.[11]
Israel and Jews [edit]
In the run-up to the 2009 Iranian elections, Rezaee criticized opposing candidate Mahmoud Ahmadinejad's public comments questioning the Holocaust as "not useful" for Iran's international standing.[12]
Personal life [edit]
His father's name was Najaf. Rezaee has five children, two sons and three daughters. One of his sons, Ahmad migrated to the United States in 1999, spoke against the policies of the Iranian Islamic government, and accused his father and others of supporting terrorist acts. He returned to Iran in 2008, but migrated to the United Arab Emirates in 2011. On 11 November 2011, his body was found on a hotel in Dubai. It was reported that he was killed by a hotel servant, but the Dubai Police stated that he had died after taking a large quantity of Antidepressants.[13] His brother, Omidvar is a member of the Parliament of Iran since 2008.
References & notes [edit]
- ^ a b Nazila Fathi (23 April 2009). "Ex-Leader of Iran’s Revolutionary Guards Seeks Presidency". The New York Times. Retrieved 29 August 2010.
- ^ "Ahmadinejad wins Iran presidential election". BBC News. 13 June 2009. Retrieved 13 June 2009.
- ^ "Iran: Did Ahmadinejad use Saberi in attempt to score diplomatic coup?". eurasianet. 19 May 2009. Retrieved 3 June 2009.
- ^ a b Stephens, Brett, "Iran's al Qaeda", Stephens' "Global View" column, editorial pages, The Wall Street Journal, 16 October 2007; p. A20
- ^ Mohsen Rezaei, A closer look
- ^ Wanted profile on Interpol website
- ^ Interpol press release
- ^ "Argentina: More international arrest warrants issued for 1994 Jewish center bombimg". South American Political and Economic Affairs. 16 November 2007. Retrieved 25 March 2013.
- ^ Daragahi, Borzou (8 June 2009). "Foreign Exchange". Los Angeles Times.
- ^ Iranian Student News Agency
- ^ ilna.ir (dead link)
- ^ "Ahmadinejad's Challenger Seeks Path for Ties With U.S.". Fox News. Associated Press. 27 May 2009.
- ^ Ahmad Rezaee, son of the Mohsen Rezaee was killed in Dubai
Iran Human Rights Documentation Center. "Violent Aftermath: The 2009 Election and Suppression of Dissent in Iran". Feb. 2010, New Haven, CT. p. 5 http://www.iranhrdc.org/httpdocs/English/pdfs/Reports/Violent%20Aftermath.pdf
External links [edit]
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Wikimedia Commons has media related to: Mohsen Rezaee |
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Wikiquote has a collection of quotations related to: Mohsen Rezaee |
- Rezaee Official Website (in Persian)
- ISNA interview with Sara Rezaee, Rezaee's daughter
- Mohsen Rezai: America Destroyed All Our Enemies in the Region
- U.S. Is Using "Porcupine Strategy" against Iran. The U.S. Decision to Confront Iran Has Already Been Made
| Military offices | ||
|---|---|---|
| Preceded by Mostafa Chamran |
Chief Commander of the Sepah 1981–1997 |
Succeeded by Yahya Rahim Safavi |
| Political offices | ||
| Preceded by Bijan Namdar Zanganeh |
Secretary of the Expediency Discernment Council 1997–present |
Succeeded by Incumbent |
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