Hassan Shariatmadari
Hassan Shariatmadari is an Iranian politician, opposition leader, and the Secretary General of the Iran Transition Council. He is the founder of the United Republicans of Iran and a proponent of the Free Elections Movement in Iran.
The son of Grand Ayatollah Mohammad Kazem Shariatmadari, a leading religious authority who opposed the theocratic constitution of the Islamic Republic of Iran, Hassan Shariatmadari played a key role in the early opposition to Ruhollah Khomeini before being forced into exile. He currently resides in Hamburg, Germany.
Early life and education
Shariatmadari was born in Tabriz, Iran. He is the son of Grand Ayatollah Mohammad Kazem Shariatmadari, a prominent Shia marja' who was a critic of the doctrine of Velayat-e Faqih and died under house arrest.Shariatmadari holds a master's degree in physics from the Aryamehr University of Technology and a master's degree in law from the University of Tehran. In addition to his secular education, he studied theology and philosophy at the Qom Seminary.
Between 1973 and 1980, Shariatmadari served as the chief editor of Payam-e Shadi and Nasle Now, monthly magazines dedicated to children and youth.
Political career
1979 Revolution
Following the Iranian Revolution of 1979, Shariatmadari co-founded the Muslim People's Republic Party, a political organization associated with his father's followers. The party advocated for a more democratic and inclusive interpretation of Islam and opposed the consolidation of power under Ayatollah Khomeini.The MPRP resisted the inclusion of the Velayat-e Faqih principle in the new constitution. This stance led to conflict with the ruling Islamic Republican Party. In late 1979 and early 1980, following uprisings in Tabriz in support of Ayatollah Shariatmadari, the party was suppressed by the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps and the Basij. Following the crackdown and the house arrest of his father, Hassan Shariatmadari went into exile.
Activities in exile
In 1983, Shariatmadari helped form the National Republicans of Iran, a coalition intended to unite secular and nationalist opposition forces.In 2004, he was a founding member of the United Republicans of Iran, a coalition of secular-democratic organizations advocating for a republic in Iran based on the Universal Declaration of Human Rights.
Shariatmadari has been an active proponent of non-violent civil resistance and the "Free Elections Movement." In June 2013, he conducted a series of seminars on democratic transitions and electoral integrity for Tavaana: E-Learning Institute for Iranian Civil Society.