Former Iranian President Abolhassan Bani-Sadr Dies Aged 88

Iran’s former president Abolhassan Bani-Sadr died on Saturday at the Pitie-Salpetriere hospital in Paris at age 88 following a long illness.

He became Iran’s first president after the 1979 Islamic revolution with the help of Islamic clergy but then fled to France soon after. His family announced on his website that he was suffering from a long illness and hopes to have him buries in Versailles, where he spent most of his life in exile. They further stated, “He defended freedom in the face of the new tyranny and oppression in the name of religion.”

Abolhassan Bani-Sadr has criticized Ayatollah Ruhollah during his life saying he had betrayed the principles of revolution after gaining power in 1979. In a previous interview he said, “We were sure that a religious leader was committing himself and that all these principles would happen for the first time in our history.” He had hopes that an Islamic revolution would have built the foundation for a thriving democratic nation.

The former president took to power in 1980 after a sweeping election but Khomeini had more power under the Islamic republic constitution. The power-struggle continued up until March 1981 when the president ordered the arrest of religious hardliners by security forces.

Even though he was in exile, Abolhassan Bani-Sadr revealed to reporters in an interview that he did not regret being a part of the revolution. The former president is survived by his wife, two daughters and one son.

©Photo: dawn