Hojjatoleslam Hujjat al-Islam (from ''ḥujjat-u l-Islām'') (also Hojatoleslam) is an honorific title meaning "authority on Islam" or "proof of Islam". Sunni Islam Its first recorded use was in a Sunni context, as a title for the 11th-century theologian al- ...

Hadi Ghaffari ( fa, حجت الاسلام هادی غفاری) (born June 25, 1950 in Azarshahr) is a member of the central council of Imam assembly forces and the president of the Al-Hadi Institute in Iran. He was accused of murdering the ex-Prime Minister Amir-Abbas Hoveida during the sham trials by Sadeq Khalkhali on April 7, 1979. He was also in charge of supervising

Hezbollah of Iran Hezbollah ( fa, حزب‌الله, Ḥezbo'llāh, lit=Party of God) is an Iranian movement formed at the time of the Iranian Revolution to assist the Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini and his forces in consolidating power. References in the media or writ ...

. He was member of

Islamic Consultative Assembly The Islamic Consultative Assembly ( fa, مجلس شورای اسلامی, Majles-e Showrā-ye Eslāmī), also called the Iranian Parliament, the Iranian Majles (Arabicised spelling Majlis) or ICA, is the national legislative body of Iran. The P ...

In the first three periods. He's son of Hossein Ghaffari who was one of the mollas that was tortured to death in prison before 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 dynas ...

. According to Dr Mir Ali Montazam, one-time first secretary at the Iranian embassy, Ghaffari, was nicknamed the "machinegun mullah" , since he was mostly seen with guns in the early revolution years. Montazam further alleges that Ghaffari played a key part in funding the Provisional IRA during the Troubles. Iranian officials deposited £4 million into a secret Jersey bank account, funded by the sale of artwork from the

Iranian Embassy in London The Embassy of Iran in London is the diplomatic mission of Iran in the United Kingdom. It is located in a terrace overlooking Hyde Park in South Kensington, Westminster, London, next to the embassy of Ethiopia. Iran also maintains a Consular Se ...

. Ghaffari was sent to Belfast and organized the distribution of the money via sympathetic Irish businessmen.

Iranian Revolution

During the revolution, he interacted with various student groups, both political and non-political, such as the Freedom Movement, the Mojahedin Khalgh Organization, Fada'iyan-e Islam , and even communist groups, and sometimes participated in inter-group debates. Abbas Milani writes about Ghaffari: The man was famous for his radicalism and his seemingly revolutionary rhetoric and rumors of an attachment to violence, young girls and luxury homes.As for his role in suppressing the

20 June, 1981 Iranian protests 20 and 21 June 1981 The events of 30th and 31st of Khordad 1360 were street demonstrations and clashes that happened at the time of the political inadequacy of the then president Abul Hassan Bani Sadr in the Islamic Council and were organized by the ...

, it is reported that Hadi Ghaffari, who was all eyes on him, shouted and addressed the crowd."Liberals,little communist, tie-dyers, honorable lawyers, honorable professors, ladies ..." and then ... addressed foreigners and said, "Tell the world, this revolution is supported by Mahdi, you have the right to laugh at us, but if your laughing made muslim youth angry , Muslim youth will chew your neck "It's easy to try and it costs nothing but a neck."

Hoveida Execution

On April 7, 1979, Amir-Abbas Hoveida was transported to Qasr Prison. Quickly shuffled back in front of

Khalkhali Mohammed Sadeq Givi Khalkhali (27 July 1926 – 26 November 2003) ( fa, صادق خلخالی) was an Iranian Shia Islam, Shia cleric who is said to have "brought to his job as Chief Justice of the revolutionary courts a relish for summary execu ...

's tribunal, Hoveida heard the court's indictment at three in the afternoon. Behind locked doors, after final efforts at stalling Hoveida's execution ended in failure, the ex-Prime Minister was taken into the prison's yard. Before reaching the area designated for firing squad executions, Hadi Ghaffari from behind pulled out a pistol and shot Hoveida twice in the neck. As Hoveida fell to the ground, a

mercy shot A mercy shot is a final shot delivered in an execution. It follows after at least one original shot intended to mortally wound or kill the victim.Ordinary Men, Christopher R. Browning It is considered "merciful" in the sense that it ends the phys ...

was fired off, ending his life.Ebrahim Yazdi's Interview about Amir Abbas Hoveida
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References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Ghaffari, Hadi 1950 births Living people People of the Iranian Revolution Executioners Association of Combatant Clerics politicians Assembly of the Forces of Imam's Line politicians Islamic Republican Party politicians

Iranian Revolution

Hoveida Execution

See also

References