1. Habib Elghanian was a prominent Iranian Jewish businessman and philanthropist who served as the president of the Tehran Jewish Society and acted as the symbolic head of the Iranian Jewish community in the 1970s.
14 Facts About Habib Elghanian
1. 2.
On 9 May 1979, Elghanian was executed by firing squad in Tehran, Iran.
3.
Habib Elghanian was arrested and sentenced to death by an Islamic revolutionary tribunal shortly after the Iranian Revolution for charges including corruption, contacts with Israel and Zionism, and "friendship with the enemies of God", and was executed by firing squad.
4.
Habib Elghanian was the first Jew and businessman to be executed by the Council of the Islamic Revolution.
5.
Habib Elghanian was born in 1912 in Iran and had six brothers, Aghadjan, Davoud, Nourollah, Sion, Ataollah and Nedjatollah.
6.
In 1959, Habib Elghanian established Plasco, a plastics manufacturing factory in Tehran which later became the largest and most technologically advanced plastics manufacturer in Iran.
7.
Habib Elghanian played a significant role in bringing Western technology to Iran in the 1960s and 1970s.
8.
Habib Elghanian was arrested in 1975 as part of Mohammad Reza Shah's attempts to eliminate corruption among major businesspeople.
9.
Habib Elghanian was both fined and jailed for illegal activities.
10.
Shortly after the Islamic revolution in 1979, Habib Elghanian was arrested on 16 March after returning to Iran, and accused of spying.
11.
Habib Elghanian was sentenced to death, with his execution carried out before dawn the next day.
12.
Habib Elghanian stated that he was not a supporter of Zionism, though his Plasco Building was built by Israeli engineers during the Pahlavi era when Iran had close relations with Israel, and he had made investments in Israel.
13.
On 9 May 1979, Habib Elghanian was executed by firing squad in Tehran.
14.
Habib Elghanian was the first Jewish citizen and one of the first Iranian civilians to be executed by the new Islamist regime.