Hassan Ebrahim Habibi ( fa, حسن حبیبی; 29 January 1937 – 31 January 2013) was an Iranian politician, lawyer, scholar and the first first vice president from 1989 until 2001 under Presidents

Akbar Hashemi Rafsanjani Akbar Hashemi Rafsanjani ( fa, اکبر هاشمی رفسنجانی, Akbar Hāshemī Rafsanjānī, born Akbar Hashemi Bahramani, 25 August 1934 – 8 January 2017) was an Iranian politician, writer, and one of the founding fathers of the Islami ...

and

Mohammad Khatami Sayyid Mohammad Khatami ( fa, سید محمد خاتمی, ; born 14 October 1943) is an Iranian politician who served as the fifth president of Iran from 3 August 1997 to 3 August 2005. He also served as Iran's Minister of Culture from 1982 ...

. 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. He held a PhD in law and sociology. When he was a university student he visited

Khomeini Ruhollah Khomeini, Ayatollah Khomeini, Imam Khomeini ( , ; ; 17 May 1900 – 3 June 1989) was an Iranian political and religious leader who served as the first supreme leader of Iran from 1979 until his death in 1989. He was the founder of ...

while the latter was in exile.

Career

Habibi was tasked by Ayatollah Khomenei to draft the prospective constitution of Iran when the latter was in exile in

Paris Paris () is the capital and most populous city of France, with an estimated population of 2,165,423 residents in 2019 in an area of more than 105 km² (41 sq mi), making it the 30th most densely populated city in the world in 2020. Si ...

. His version was heavily modified due to criticisms and the final text was approved by the election in November 1979. Following the Iranian revolution, Habibi was named public spokesman for the revolutionary council. He was among the main architects of the first draft of

Constitution of the Islamic Republic of Iran The Constitution of the Islamic Republic of Iran ( fa, قانون اساسی جمهوری اسلامی ایران, ''Qanun-e Asasi-ye Jomhuri-ye Eslâmi-ye Iran'') was adopted by referendum on 2 and 3 December 1979, and went into force replac ...

, which was later passed for more discussion to an elected

Assembly of Experts for Constitution The Assembly for the Final Review of the Constitution (AFRC; fa, مجلس بررسی نهایی قانون اساسی) also known as the Assembly of Experts for Constitution ( fa, مجلس خبرگان قانون اساسی), was a constituent a ...

. The assembly made significant changes in the original draft, e.g. by introducing the new position of "leader of the Islamic Republic" based on

'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 run for office, but received only ten percent of the vote against Banisadr's seventy percent. Habibi was backed by Mohammad Beheshti in the election process. In the same year he won a parliamentary seat, being a representative of the Islamic Republican Party. 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. 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 and a member of the Expediency Council.

Death

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

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).

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. Habibi was a member of the

Freedom Movement of Iran The Freedom Movement of Iran (FMI) or Liberation Movement of Iran (LMI; fa, نهضت آزادی ايران, Nahżat-e āzādi-e Irān) is an Iranian pro- democracy political organization founded in 1961, by members describing themselves as "Musli ...

, before he defected to the

Islamic Republican Party The Islamic Republican Party (IRP; fa, حزب جمهوری اسلامی, Ḥezb-e Jomhūrī-e Eslāmī, also translated Islamic Republic Party) formed in 1979 to assist the Iranian Revolution and Ayatollah Khomeini establish theocracy in Iran. ...

after the

Iranian Revolution The Iranian Revolution ( fa, انقلاب ایران, Enqelâb-e Irân, ), also known as the Islamic Revolution ( fa, انقلاب اسلامی, Enqelâb-e Eslâmī), was a series of events that culminated in the overthrow of the Pahlavi dyna ...

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Habibi, Hassan 1937 births 2013 deaths Deputies of Tehran, Rey, Shemiranat and Eslamshahr First vice presidents of Iran Government ministers of Iran Freedom Movement of Iran MPs Executives of Construction Party politicians Members of the Expediency Discernment Council Candidates in the 1980 Iranian presidential election Members of the Academy of Persian Language and Literature People of the Iranian Revolution Members of the 1st Islamic Consultative Assembly Recipients of the Order of Knowledge Islamic Republican Party politicians Spokespersons of the Government of Iran Members of the Guardian Council Ministers of Justice of Iran National Front (Iran) student activists Iranian politicians who have crossed the floor Iranian Science and Culture Hall of Fame recipients in Humanities Politicians from Tehran de:Hassan Habibi fr:Hassan Habibi it:Hassan Habibi