Nepedia
Back to Discover
Advanced Reader
📖

Ebrahim Raisi

society Maturity 13-18 evolution religion death dying war conflict politics Next article →

This article covers sensitive topics: evolution, religion, death_dying, war_conflict, politics. Parents can manage visibility in Parental Controls.

Ebrahim Raisi was a prominent Iranian cleric and politician. He served as the eighth president of Iran from 2021 until 2024.

Raisi in 2021 election 08
Raisi in 2021 election 08

Raisi was a member of the Principlist group. This group is considered conservative in Iranian politics. He was a protégé of the Supreme Leader, Ali Khamenei. Raisi's life involved many high-level roles in the judicial and executive branches. His presidency ended unexpectedly following a helicopter crash in 2024. He was the second Iranian president to die while in office.

His career began with religious and legal studies. Raisi started his clerical education at the age of 15. He studied at various institutions, including the Qom Seminary. He attended the Ayatollah Borujerdi School in Qom starting in 1975. Some sources discuss his religious credentials. While he claimed a doctorate in private law, this has been disputed. He also used different clerical ranks during his career. He sometimes used the title Ayatollah. Other times, he used the rank of hojat-ol-eslam. This is a rank immediately below Ayatollah.

After the 1979 Iranian Revolution, Raisi entered the judicial system. He served as a prosecutor in several different cities. In 1981, he was the prosecutor of Karaj. He also served as the prosecutor of Hamadan. In 1985, he moved to the capital to work as the Deputy Prosecutor of Tehran.

Ebrahim Raisi in Iran-Iraq war era
Ebrahim Raisi in Iran-Iraq war era

He later held very senior legal positions. He was the Deputy Chief Justice from 2004 to 2014. He also served as the Attorney General from 2014 to 2016. Between 2019 and 2021, he held the office of Chief Justice.

A very controversial period of his career occurred in 1988. During this time, Raisi was a member of the Tehran branch of a "death commission." This commission was established under the direction of Grand Ayatollah Khomeini. The commission was responsible for the execution of thousands of political prisoners. Most of these prisoners were supporters of the People's Mujahedin of Iran. Others belonged to leftist groups like the Tudeh Party. Amnesty International and Human Rights Watch have provided different estimates of the deaths. Some sources suggest the number was between 2,800 and 5,000 people. Because of this role, Raisi earned the nickname "Butcher of Tehran." He was accused of crimes against humanity by various international organizations.

Before becoming president, Raisi held significant administrative roles. From 2016 to 2019, he was the Chairman of Astan Quds Razavi. This is a large organization known as a bonyad. He was also elected to the Assembly of Experts from South Khorasan Province in 2006. Raisi first attempted to become president in 2017. He ran as the candidate for the Popular Front of Islamic Revolution Forces. He lost that election to the incumbent, Hassan Rouhani. Raisi received 38.30% of the votes in that race.

Ebrahim Raisi presidential campaign rally in Tehran, 29 April 2017 23
Ebrahim Raisi presidential campaign rally in Tehran, 29 April 2017 23

In 2021, Raisi ran for the presidency a second time. He was successful in this election. He won with 63% of the votes, succeeding Hassan Rouhani.

Raisi in 2021 election 08
Raisi in 2021 election 08

His presidency was marked by several major challenges and shifts in policy. He dealt with a deadlock in negotiations regarding the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA). This is a major international agreement involving Iran and the U.S. During his term, Iran also joined the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) and BRICS.

Shanghai Cooperation Organization member states Summit gets underway in Samarkand 02
Shanghai Cooperation Organization member states Summit gets underway in Samarkand 02

He also met with various international leaders.

Domestic issues also defined his time in office. In late 2022, Iran experienced large-scale protests. These protests were triggered by the death of Mahsa Amini on 16 September. On the international stage, Iran's foreign policy remained active. The country intensified its uranium enrichment efforts during his presidency. Iran also supported the Russian invasion of Ukraine. Additionally, Iran launched missile and drone attacks against Israel during the Gaza war. He continued to provide support to proxy groups like Hezbollah and the Houthi movement.

630 words

Where will your curiosity go next?

Keep exploring at your chosen reading level.

🖼️ Images & Media (8)
File:Ebrahim Raisi in Iran-Iraq war era.jpg
Ebrahim Raisi in Iran-Iraq war era.jpg
File:Ebrahim Raisi presidential campaign rally in Tehran, 29 April 2017 23.jpg
Ebrahim Raisi presidential campaign rally...
File:Raisi in 2021 election 08.jpg
Raisi in 2021 election 08.jpg
File:37-(Provincial trips of the president)-سفرهای استانی رئیس جمهور- قزوین.jpg
37-(Provincial trips of the...
File:Shanghai Cooperation Organization member states Summit gets underway in Samarkand 02.jpg
Shanghai Cooperation Organization member...
File:Ebrahim Raisi 2018.jpg
Ebrahim Raisi 2018.jpg
File:PM in a bilateral meeting with the President of the Islamic Republic of Iran, Dr. Seyyed Ebrahim Raisi during the 15th BRICS Summit at Johannesburg, in South Africa on August 24, 2023 (2).jpg
PM in a bilateral meeting with the...
File:Ilham Aliyev and President Seyyed Ebrahim Raisi met at the Azerbaijan-Iran state border - 02.jpg
Ilham Aliyev and President Seyyed Ebrahim...
More to explore

What is Nepedia?

A free, ad-free encyclopedia for children. Every article is written at five reading levels, so the same page works for a five-year-old and a fifteen-year-old — use the level switcher above to see this one change. No account needed to read.