Leader Attends Memorial Service for Ex-Iranian President Rafsanjani


Leader Attends Memorial Service for Ex-Iranian President Rafsanjani

TEHRAN (Tasnim) – Leader of the Islamic Revolution Ayatollah Seyed Ali Khamenei participated in a memorial service held to pay tribute to the late prominent cleric Ayatollah Akbar Hashemi Rafsanjani, Iran’s former president and chairman of the Expediency Council.

The ceremony was held in Tehran on Wednesday with the family members of Ayatollah Rafsanjani, high-ranking Iranian officials, and people from all walks life in attendance.

The Leader, as well as the heads of the three branches of government, namely President Hassan Rouhani, Parliament Speaker Ali Larijani and Judiciary Chief Ayatollah Sadeq Amoli Larijani, were present at the memorial service.

On Tuesday, a huge crowd of Iranians attended the funeral of Ayatollah Rafsanjani at the University of Tehran.

The senior cleric died at the age of 82 on Sunday. Following his death, the cabinet declared three days of national mourning and announced Tuesday as a public holiday.

Five days of mourning are observed in the southern province of Kerman, where Ayatollah Rafsanjani’s hometown of Rafsanjan is located.

Ayatollah Rafsanjani was an influential figure in a campaign led by Imam Khomeini that resulted in the victory of the Islamic Revolution in 1979. The deceased became president for two terms and was the chairman of the Expediency Council for some 20 years.

In a message of condolence, Ayatollah Khamenei praised the deceased as an “old friend, comrade and companion during the time of Islamic struggles, and close colleague in long years during the period of the Islamic Republic.”

“The loss of a comrade and companion, the background of cooperation and the beginning of empathy and collaboration with whom dates back to 59 years ago, is hard and heart-rending,” the Leader said in the message.

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