Mehdi Hashemi Rafsanjani
Encyclopedia
Mehdi Hashemi Bahramani (Rafsanjani) (born 20 September, 1969 in Tehran) is a businessman and the fourth child of Ayatollah
Akbar Hashemi Rafsanjani
, former President of Iran
.
, graduating in 1987. He was accepted at University of Tehran
where he majored in Telecommunication, obtaining his B.S in 1992. He earned an M.S degree from Sharif University of Technology
in Energy Engineering field and is working on a PhD in Energy Engineering field at Islamic Azad University
.
In October 2010 he began studying for a D.Phil.
at Wolfson College, Oxford
in Iranian constitution.
Bahramani published (translated?) a lexicon related to his field - "Glossary of Energy Terms" (Loghatnam-e-Energy) - from English into Persian. He also published a book consisting mainly of Ayatollah Rafsanjani's diaries from 1983 entitled "Challenge and Peace" (Chalesh-va-Aramesh) - and which is nowadays considered as a referential source for Iranian contemporary authors, politicians and policymakers.
He served in the Iran-Iraq War
, saw combat in 1986, and a year later was injured.
He is married to his cousin Fereshteh Hashemi Bahramani (daughter of late Ghasem Hashemi Bahramani), and they have two sons, Foad and Yasin.
and took charge of its management. He undertook the management of Gas Export in the Petroleum Ministry in 1999, and after the establishment of Fuel Consumption
Optimizing Organization in 2000 assumed its responsibility.
He was in charge of his father's electoral campaign
in the ninth presidential elections
in 2005 and now he is the head of Islamic Azad University
Research Center and the Board of Trustees.
arrested the CEO and other officers of the giant oil company
Total S.A.
on charges that Total had bribed Iranian officials. From 1997 to 2003, Total paid out €
60,000,000 ($80,000,000) for a favorable contract in the PSEEZ off-shore
natural gas
field. Much of this money was allegedly paid into bank accounts
controlled by Mehdi Rafsanjani, then head of the state-owned company
Gaz Iran.
Mehdi denied this allegation, and threatened the newspapers which reported it with prosecution.
In the 2009 Iran poll protests trial
, a defendant (Hamzeh Karami) accused Mehdi of spending assets of the Iranian Fuel Conservation Organization to finance his father's 2005 campaign. Mehdi questioned the credibility of the confession pointing out that Karami "stood trial on Tuesday without a defense attorney
after having spent over 70 days in solitary," and accused president Ahmadinejad of embezzling a far larger amount "that went missing from the Tehran governor’s office in 2005." The trial have been widely condemned in both Iran and elsewhere as a "show trial" employing coerced confessions.
Ayatollah
Ayatollah is a high ranking title given to Usuli Twelver Shī‘ah clerics. Those who carry the title are experts in Islamic studies such as jurisprudence, ethics, and philosophy and usually teach in Islamic seminaries. The next lower clerical rank is Hojatoleslam wal-muslemin...
Akbar Hashemi Rafsanjani
Akbar Hashemi Rafsanjani
Ayatollah Akbar Hashemi Rafsanjani is an influential Iranian politician and writer, who was the fourth President of Iran. He was a member of the Assembly of Experts until his resignation in 2011...
, former President of Iran
Iran
Iran , officially the Islamic Republic of Iran , is a country in Southern and Western Asia. The name "Iran" has been in use natively since the Sassanian era and came into use internationally in 1935, before which the country was known to the Western world as Persia...
.
Education
He attended elementary, junior and high school at the Nikan High SchoolNikan High School
Nikan High School is a boys-only school located in the north of Tehran, Iran. Nikan is an ancient Persian-Zorastrian name meaning "all the goodness in the world"....
, graduating in 1987. He was accepted at University of Tehran
University of Tehran
The University of Tehran , also known as Tehran University and UT, is Iran's oldest university. Located in Tehran, the university is among the most prestigious in the country, and is consistently selected as the first choice of many applicants in the annual nationwide entrance exam for top Iranian...
where he majored in Telecommunication, obtaining his B.S in 1992. He earned an M.S degree from Sharif University of Technology
Sharif University of Technology
Sharif University of Technology is a university of higher education in technology, engineering and physical sciences in Tehran. Sharif University of Technology is one of the most prestigious universities in the country, and is considered Iran's MIT...
in Energy Engineering field and is working on a PhD in Energy Engineering field at Islamic Azad University
Islamic Azad University
Islamic Azad University is a private chain of universities in Iran.Headquartered in Tehran, Iran, the Islamic Azad University was founded in 1982 and currently has an enrollment of 1.5 million students, making it the world's third largest...
.
In October 2010 he began studying for a D.Phil.
Doctor of Philosophy
Doctor of Philosophy, abbreviated as Ph.D., PhD, D.Phil., or DPhil , in English-speaking countries, is a postgraduate academic degree awarded by universities...
at Wolfson College, Oxford
Wolfson College, Oxford
Wolfson College is a constituent college of the University of Oxford in England. Located in north Oxford along the River Cherwell, Wolfson is an all-graduate college with over sixty governing body fellows, in addition to both research and junior research fellows. It caters to a wide range of...
in Iranian constitution.
Bahramani published (translated?) a lexicon related to his field - "Glossary of Energy Terms" (Loghatnam-e-Energy) - from English into Persian. He also published a book consisting mainly of Ayatollah Rafsanjani's diaries from 1983 entitled "Challenge and Peace" (Chalesh-va-Aramesh) - and which is nowadays considered as a referential source for Iranian contemporary authors, politicians and policymakers.
He served in the Iran-Iraq War
Iran-Iraq War
The Iran–Iraq War was an armed conflict between the armed forces of Iraq and Iran, lasting from September 1980 to August 1988, making it the longest conventional war of the twentieth century...
, saw combat in 1986, and a year later was injured.
He is married to his cousin Fereshteh Hashemi Bahramani (daughter of late Ghasem Hashemi Bahramani), and they have two sons, Foad and Yasin.
Responsibilities
Mohammad Goodarzi established Engineering Company of Marine Equipment and Construction in 1994 which is an attaché' to the Petroleum MinistryMinistry of Petroleum of Iran
The Ministry of Petroleum manages the oil industry, the producer of oil and petrochemical products. MoP is in charge of all issues pertaining to exploration, extraction, exploitation, distribution and exportation of crude oil and oil products. In addition, according to the "", issuing import...
and took charge of its management. He undertook the management of Gas Export in the Petroleum Ministry in 1999, and after the establishment of Fuel Consumption
Fuel efficiency
Fuel efficiency is a form of thermal efficiency, meaning the efficiency of a process that converts chemical potential energy contained in a carrier fuel into kinetic energy or work. Overall fuel efficiency may vary per device, which in turn may vary per application, and this spectrum of variance is...
Optimizing Organization in 2000 assumed its responsibility.
He was in charge of his father's electoral campaign
Political campaign
A political campaign is an organized effort which seeks to influence the decision making process within a specific group. In democracies, political campaigns often refer to electoral campaigns, wherein representatives are chosen or referendums are decided...
in the ninth presidential elections
Iranian presidential election, 2005
Iran's ninth presidential election took place in two rounds, the first on June 17, 2005, the run-off on June 24. Mohammad Khatami, the previous President of Iran, stepped down on August 2, 2005, after serving his maximum two consecutive four-year terms according to the Islamic Republic's constitution...
in 2005 and now he is the head of Islamic Azad University
Islamic Azad University
Islamic Azad University is a private chain of universities in Iran.Headquartered in Tehran, Iran, the Islamic Azad University was founded in 1982 and currently has an enrollment of 1.5 million students, making it the world's third largest...
Research Center and the Board of Trustees.
Bribery allegations
In 2007, authorities in FranceFrance
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
arrested the CEO and other officers of the giant oil company
Petroleum industry
The petroleum industry includes the global processes of exploration, extraction, refining, transporting , and marketing petroleum products. The largest volume products of the industry are fuel oil and gasoline...
Total S.A.
Total S.A.
Total S.A. is a French multinational oil company and one of the six "Supermajor" oil companies in the world.Its businesses cover the entire oil and gas chain, from crude oil and natural gas exploration and production to power generation, transportation, refining, petroleum product marketing, and...
on charges that Total had bribed Iranian officials. From 1997 to 2003, Total paid out €
Euro
The euro is the official currency of the eurozone: 17 of the 27 member states of the European Union. It is also the currency used by the Institutions of the European Union. The eurozone consists of Austria, Belgium, Cyprus, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Ireland, Italy, Luxembourg,...
60,000,000 ($80,000,000) for a favorable contract in the PSEEZ off-shore
Offshore drilling
Offshore drilling refers to a mechanical process where a wellbore is drilled through the seabed. It is typically carried out in order to explore for and subsequently produce hydrocarbons which lie in rock formations beneath the seabed...
natural gas
Natural gas
Natural gas is a naturally occurring gas mixture consisting primarily of methane, typically with 0–20% higher hydrocarbons . It is found associated with other hydrocarbon fuel, in coal beds, as methane clathrates, and is an important fuel source and a major feedstock for fertilizers.Most natural...
field. Much of this money was allegedly paid into bank accounts
Deposit account
A deposit account is a current account, savings account, or other type of bank account, at a banking institution that allows money to be deposited and withdrawn by the account holder. These transactions are recorded on the bank's books, and the resulting balance is recorded as a liability for the...
controlled by Mehdi Rafsanjani, then head of the state-owned company
Government-owned corporation
A government-owned corporation, state-owned company, state-owned entity, state enterprise, publicly owned corporation, government business enterprise, or parastatal is a legal entity created by a government to undertake commercial activities on behalf of an owner government...
Gaz Iran.
Mehdi denied this allegation, and threatened the newspapers which reported it with prosecution.
In the 2009 Iran poll protests trial
2009 Iran poll protests trial
2009 Iran poll protests trial refers to a series of trials conducted after 2009 Iranian presidential election. Over 140 defendants, including prominent politicians, academics and writers, were put on trial for participating in the 2009 Iranian election protests...
, a defendant (Hamzeh Karami) accused Mehdi of spending assets of the Iranian Fuel Conservation Organization to finance his father's 2005 campaign. Mehdi questioned the credibility of the confession pointing out that Karami "stood trial on Tuesday without a defense attorney
Attorney at law
An attorney at law in the United States is a practitioner in a court of law who is legally qualified to prosecute and defend actions in such court on the retainer of clients. Alternative terms include counselor and lawyer...
after having spent over 70 days in solitary," and accused president Ahmadinejad of embezzling a far larger amount "that went missing from the Tehran governor’s office in 2005." The trial have been widely condemned in both Iran and elsewhere as a "show trial" employing coerced confessions.