Faezeh Hashemi Rafsanjani

Faezeh Hashemi Bahramani, better known as Faezeh Hashemi Rafsanjani (Persian: فائزه هاشمی رفسنجانی‎; born 7 January 1963) is an Iranian women's rights activist, politician and former journalist who served as a member of Iranian parliament from 1996 to 2000. She is also president of Executives of Construction Party women's league and the former editor-in-chief of Zan newspaper.

Faezeh Hashemi Rafsanjani
Member of the Parliament of Iran
In office
8 May 1996 – 3 May 2000
ConstituencyTehran
Majority852,609 (34.8%)[1]
Personal details
Born
Faezeh Hashemi Bahramani[1]

(1963-01-07) 7 January 1963
Qom, Iran[1]
Political partyExecutives of Construction
Spouse(s)Hamid Lahouti[2]
Children2
ParentsAkbar Hashemi Rafsanjani
Effat Marashi
Alma materIslamic Azad University
Birmingham City University
OccupationPolitician
ProfessionJournalist

She is the daughter of the former president, Akbar Hashemi Rafsanjani and the sister of Fatemeh Rafsanjani and Mehdi Rafsanjani.

Early life and education

Rafsanjani is the daughter of Ali Akbar Hashemi Rafsanjani and Effat Marashi.[3] She holds a master of laws degree in international human rights from Birmingham City University.

Career

Rafsanjani was a member of the Executives of Construction Party that was established by moderate politicians.[4] Between 1996 and 2000 she was a parliament representative from Tehran.[3] She founded the women's newspaper Zan in 1998, which was disestablished in April 1999.[5][6]

Views and activism

In the 1997 presidential elections, Rafsanjani supported Mohammad Khatami.[5] During the 2009 Iranian election protests, Reuters reported that Rafsanjani addressed a crowd at a banned opposition rally in Tehran on 16 June, and was subsequently prohibited from leaving the country.[7] She was arrested and briefly detained at least twice after participating in an opposition rallies in Tehran on 20 June 2009 (together with four relatives),[8][9] and again on 20 February 2010 after "making blunt statements and chanting provocative slogans," according to Iranian state media. She was again arrested in February 2011.[10] In March 2011, her son, Hassan, was also arrested.[11]

A couple of videos appeared on the internet showing her being harassed by hardliners. Sometime before 27 February 2011, a video appeared showing Hashemi surrounded by several "hard-liners" threatening her with violence, insulting her, calling her a "whore," and chanting "Death to Rafsanjani".[12]

Faeze favors women's rights, and has been a staunch advocate of relaxation of strict dress code (even though she prefers to wear the chador herself) She does not think it should be imposed on the people. She has traveled widely to Europe, Africa, and India to promote dialogue and is interested in ties with all regions. She has written positively about the effective movements of Mahatma Gandhi, Martin Luther King Jr. and Nelson Mandela.[13]

Trial

1st Trial
Faezeh Hashemi Rafsanjani
Criminal statusConvicted
Conviction(s)Propaganda against the system
Criminal penalty½ year in prison
Capture status
Completed sentence and freed
Date apprehended
2012–2013
Imprisoned atEvin Prison

On 24 December 2011, she was standing trial on charges of making anti-regime propaganda, her lawyer was quoted as saying after a closed hearing. After the court told her about her accusation of propaganda against the regime, she and her lawyer gave their defence. Hashemi was arrested and released after taking part in a number of protests which erupted after a 2009 election which saw President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad reelected to office despite opposition claims the vote was rigged. She was arrested again for participating in anti-regime demonstrations in February 2011.

Her father, Akbar Hashemi Rafsanjani was facing harsh criticism from conservatives who demand he publicly condemn opposition leaders Mir-Hossein Mousavi and Mehdi Karroubi - he lost his seat on the powerful Assembly of Experts as a result. Rafsanjani later somewhat distanced himself from the opposition leaders and condemned the last anti-government demonstrations staged by their supporters. But his stance did not satisfy the conservatives.

Sentencing

On 3 January 2012, she was sentenced to six months in prison. She had 20 days to appeal.[14] On 22 September 2012, Hashemi was arrested to serve her sentence.[15] She was taken to Evin prison.[16] She was released in March 2013 upon the completion of the sentence.[17]

2nd Trial and Sentencing

On 17 March 2017, she was again sentenced to jail for six months because of spreading propaganda against the regime, Iranian news media reported.[18]

References
  1. "Parliament members" (in Persian). Iranian Majlis. Retrieved 28 October 2014.
  2. "روایت مرگ مشکوک آیت‌الله لاهوتی در اوین". Radio Farda (in Persian). Retrieved 22 March 2015.
  3. "Profile - Hoj. Ali Akbar Rafsanjani". APS Review Gas Market Trends. 19 April 1999. Retrieved 19 June 2013.
  4. Gasiorowski, Mark J. (1 October 2000). "The power struggle in Iran". Middle East Policy. Retrieved 19 June 2013.
  5. "Profile - Sayyed Mohammad Khatami". APS Review Gas Market Trends. 19 April 1999.
  6. Arash Karami (19 August 2013). "Faezeh Rafsanjani: Prison Was the Best Time of My Life". Al Monitor. Archived from the original on 24 August 2013. Retrieved 26 August 2013.
  7. "Rafsanjani children barred from leaving Iran- report". Reuters. 18 June 2009.
  8. "Five Hashemi-Rafsanjani relatives arrested". Press TV. 21 June 2009. Archived from the original on 23 June 2009.
  9. Fathi, Nazila; Slackman, Michael (21 June 2009). "Relatives of Ex-President of Iran are Briefly Detained". The New York Times. Retrieved 2 May 2010.
  10. "Daughter of former Iranian leader held". ITN. 23 February 2011. Retrieved 19 June 2013.
  11. "Iran arrests ex-president Rafsanjani's grandson: reports". AFP Global Edition. 22 March 2010. Retrieved 19 June 2013.
  12. Hard-Liners Attack Rafsanjani's Daughter, As He Faces Pressure, RFERL, 27 February 2011, Retrieved 11 March 2011
  13. Faeze Hashemi Author
  14. "Iran jails former President Rafsanjani's daughter". BBC News. 3 January 2012.
  15. "Iran arrests daughter of ex-president Rafsanjani: reports". AFP. Retrieved 25 September 2012.
  16. "Iran ex-president's daughter freed from jail". Arab News. Tehran. 19 March 2013. Retrieved 19 June 2013.
  17. "Daughter of Expediency Council chairman released from prison". PressTV. 19 March 2013. Archived from the original on 27 May 2013.
  18. "Former Iranian Leader's Daughter Jailed For 'Spreading Propaganda'". Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty. 18 March 2017.
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