Mohammad Beheshti | |
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Chief Justice of Iran Head of Supreme Court of Iran |
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In office 23 February 1980 – 28 June 1981 |
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Appointed by | Ruhollah Khomeini |
Succeeded by | Abdul-Karim Mousavi Ardebili |
Member of the Assembly of Experts for Constitution | |
In office 15 August 1979 – 15 November 1979 |
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Constituency | Tehran Province |
Majority | 1,547,550 (60.93%) |
Personal details | |
Born |
Isfahan, Iran |
24 October 1928
Died | 28 June 1981 Tehran, Iran |
(aged 52)
Nationality | Iranian |
Political party | Islamic Republican Party |
Alma mater | University of Tehran |
Religion | Islam |
Signature |
Seyyed Mohammad Hosseini Beheshti (Persian: سیّد محمد حسینی بهشتی; 24 October 1928 – 28 June 1981) was an Iranian jurist, philosopher, cleric and politician who was known as the second person in the political hierarchy of Iran after the revolution. Dr. Beheshti is considered to have been the primary architect of Iran's post-revolution constitution, as well as the administrative structure of the Islamic Republic. Beheshti was assassinated along with more than 70 members of the Islamic Republic Party on 28 June 1981.
Beheshti is also known to have selected and trained several prominent politicians in the Islamic Republic, such as current President Hassan Rouhani, former President Mohammad Khatami, Ali Akbar Velayati, Mohammad Javad Larijani, Ali Fallahian, and Mostafa Pourmohammadi. Beheshti also served as the Secretary General of the Islamic Republic Party, and was the head of the Iranian judicial system. He further served as Chairman of the Council of Islamic Revolution, and the Assembly of Experts. Beheshti earned a Ph.D. in Philosophy, and was fluent in English, German and Arabic. Following his death, Ayatollah Khomeini referred to Beheshti as a person who was "as a nation for us."
Beheshti was born in Isfahan in 1928. He studied both at the University of Tehran and under Allameh Tabatabaei in Qom. Between 1965 and 1970, he led the Islamic Center in Hamburg where he was responsible for the spiritual leadership of religious Iranian students in Germany and Western Europe. In Hamburg, he also worked with Mohammad Khatami and was among his influences. Since the early 1960s, he was involved in activities against the monarchy and was arrested several times by the Shah's secret police, the SAVAK.