Faezeh Hashemi Rafsanjani: Who Is She? | Biography, Member of Parliament, Imprisonments, and Controversial Stances

Faezeh Hashemi Bahramani (born January 7, 1963, in Qom) is a prominent Iranian reformist politician and one of the most visible and controversial political-critical female figures of recent decades. She served as a Member of Parliament representing Tehran, Ray, Shemiranat, and Eslamshahr in the 5th Islamic Consultative Assembly as the second representative of Tehran. She is the second daughter of Akbar Hashemi Rafsanjani (the former two-term president of Iran from August 3, 1989, to August 3, 1997, former chairman of the Expediency Discernment Council, who passed away on January 8, 2017) and Effat Marashi (wife of Akbar Hashemi Rafsanjani). She is the third child of the Hashemi family, younger sister of Fatemeh Hashemi and Mohsen Hashemi, and older sister of Mehdi Hashemi and Yasser Hashemi. She is a founding member of the Executives of Construction Party of Iran, former head of the women's branch of the party, former head of the Islamic Federation of Women's Sports starting from 1990 for several years, and a former board member of the Office for Publishing the Revolution's Islamic Knowledge and Thoughts (the entity publishing the works and memoirs of Hashemi Rafsanjani). She is the only daughter of Akbar Hashemi Rafsanjani to enter politics, a widely discussed figure with 5 judicial convictions and a total of around 12 years of imprisonment. She stands out as a unique figure: "the daughter of the former president of Iran who was imprisoned multiple times due to her critical stances." She was notably arrested on September 27, 2022, by security forces amid the nationwide "Woman, Life, Freedom" protests and transferred to Evin Prison. She faced controversial convictions in two prominent cases on charges of "propaganda activities against the regime of the Islamic Republic," "disrupting public order and comfort through participation in legal gatherings," and "insulting sanctities," receiving a widely publicized preliminary sentence of 5 years in prison and a travel ban in late January 2023, which was upheld by the Tehran Province Court of Appeal, totaling 15 months and 37 months of discretionary imprisonment across two separate cases. She was a widely discussed released figure from Evin Prison on September 18, 2024, on "conditional release" after serving nearly 2 years of imprisonment. She is the author of a notable letter from Evin Prison in September 2024 on the eve of the anniversary of the Woman, Life, Freedom movement, in which she criticized "fascist behaviors," "dictatorship," "pressure groups inside the ward," "stigma and accusations," "threats," "physical assault," and the "atmosphere of terror and suffocation" created by a number of her fellow female political prisoners, a letter published by the judiciary's media outlet (Mizan). She became a controversial discursive figure when she stated in a notable interview, "I didn't want to be released, they forced me out of prison." She is the wife of Hamid Lahouti and daughter-in-law of Ayatollah Seyed Hassan Lahouti Ashkevari (a prominent cleric who died under suspicious circumstances in Evin Prison), and sister-in-law to Fatemeh Hashemi (who was married to Saeed Lahouti). She is the mother of four children, including Hassan Lahouti (born 1987, currently a student in London). She sparked significant controversy and discussion in her November 2008 interview with Shahrvand-e Emrooz by claiming that "the cause of death of her father-in-law, Hassan Lahouti Ashkevari, was strychnine poisoning rather than a heart attack." Following her father's reported death on January 8, 2017, she issued a notable message from Evin Prison in November 2022 in which she explicitly referred to her father's death as "martyrdom." She has been a prominent critic in recent years regarding compulsory hijab, the policies of Seyed Ali Khamenei, and the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC). On October 28, 2025, she claimed that "the alleged assassination of her father was the work of internal actors, not Russia or Israel." An accomplished academic, she holds two master's degrees (Human Rights and International Law) and two bachelor's degrees (Management from Al-Zahra University and Political Science from Islamic Azad University, Tehran Central Branch), and is a graduate of the prominent Refah School from elementary through high school. Over the past four decades, she has established herself as one of the most reflected, prominent, and controversial figures in Iran's post-revolutionary landscape—blending the roles of woman, politician, critic, reformist, post-reformist, and radical post-revolutionary dissident.

Life and Family Background

Faezeh Hashemi Bahramani was born on January 7, 1963, in the religious city of Qom while her family was residing there.

Prominent Father: Akbar Hashemi Rafsanjani

The most central aspect of Faezeh Hashemi's family and political background is her lineage as the daughter of Akbar Hashemi Rafsanjani, one of the most influential post-revolutionary figures in Iran. According to published reports: "Faezeh Hashemi Bahramani, the second daughter of the late Ayatollah Akbar Hashemi Rafsanjani, was born on January 7, 1963, in Qom... Her father was a former president and a senior official of the Islamic Republic of Iran." This lineage formed the foundation of her enduring political-familial identity.

Mother: Effat Marashi

According to published reports: "She is the third child of Akbar Hashemi Rafsanjani and Effat Marashi."

Siblings Network

According to published reports: "Her sister Fatemeh and brother Mohsen are older, while Mehdi and Yasser are her younger brothers." This network includes Fatemeh Hashemi (former head of the Islamic Federation of Women's Sports and political activist), Mohsen Hashemi (former chairman of the Tehran City Council), Mehdi Hashemi (a prominent politician and figure in high-profile legal cases), and Yasser Hashemi.

Migration to Tehran at Age 4

According to published reports: "Faezeh's childhood was spent in Qom, and when she was 4 years old, she migrated with her family to Tehran, completing her entire education at the Refah School."

Spouse: Hamid Lahouti

A prominent facet of her political-familial network is her husband, Hamid Lahouti. According to published reports: "In the early days of the revolution, Saeed Lahouti married Fatemeh Hashemi Rafsanjani, and Hamid Lahouti married Faezeh Hashemi Rafsanjani. Fatemeh Hashemi attributes the marriage to the close relationship between Hashemi Rafsanjani and Lahouti during their years in prison, as well as the connection between the two families during that era."

Father-in-Law: Ayatollah Seyed Hassan Lahouti Ashkevari

According to published reports: "Faezeh Hashemi explicitly stated elsewhere regarding the cause of death of Hassan Lahouti Ashkevari and his son Vahid Lahouti: 'They killed both Hassan Lahouti and his son Vahid [via head trauma in prison].'" Reports also note: "In a controversial interview with Shahrvand-e Emrooz in November 2008 regarding the cause of her father-in-law's death, she stated that the cause was strychnine poisoning rather than a heart attack as claimed in media outlets of the Islamic Republic. This interview led to the banning of Shahrvand-e Emrooz."

Four Children

According to published reports: "Hassan Lahouti, the son of Mrs. Faezeh Hashemi, was born in 1987, is currently a student, and studies in London."

Education

Faezeh Hashemi Bahramani has a fourfold academic educational background.

Refah School

According to published reports: "She completed her entire education at the Refah School." This background shaped her enduring student-revolutionary identity.

Four Academic Degrees

According to published reports: "She also notes that in addition to holding two master's degrees in Human Rights and International Law, she holds two bachelor's degrees—one in Management from Al-Zahra University and another in Political Science from the Tehran Central Branch of the Azad University." These four degrees formed the core of her persistent academic identity.

Founding of the Executives of Construction Party

A major chapter in her party career was her participation in founding the Executives of Construction Party of Iran. According to published reports: "Hashemi holds a reformist political orientation and is considered one of the founding members of the Executives of Construction Party of Iran," and "Faezeh Hashemi is also the head of the women's branch of the party."

Presidency of the Islamic Federation of Women's Sports (from 1990)

A central historical milestone in her athletic career was assuming the presidency of the Islamic Federation of Women's Sports in 1990. According to published reports: "Faezeh Hashemi assumed the presidency of the Islamic Federation of Women's Sports in 1990," establishing her role in post-revolutionary women's sports administration.

Membership in the 5th Parliament (Islamic Consultative Assembly)

Her parliamentary career reached a peak when she successfully ran for the 5th Islamic Consultative Assembly, entering parliament as the second representative of Tehran.

Three Dimensions of Parliamentary Activity

According to Faezeh Hashemi's own account: "My activities in parliament had three dimensions: current societal issues (especially political issues), women's issues, and sports-related issues."

Defeat in the 6th Parliamentary Elections

According to published reports: "Her participation in the 6th parliamentary elections ended in defeat, leading to her temporary withdrawal from political activities."

Controversial Claims Regarding Father-in-Law's Death (November 2008)

A controversial milestone in her discourse was her claim regarding the death of her father-in-law, Hassan Lahouti Ashkevari, alleging strychnine poisoning instead of a heart attack, which resulted in the closure of Shahrvand-e Emrooz.

Arrest in October 2022

A major judicial turning point was her arrest on September 27, 2022, in Tehran amid the nationwide "Woman, Life, Freedom" protests, after which she was transferred to Evin Prison.

Judicial Convictions

In late January 2023, she was sentenced in the preliminary court to 5 years in prison and a travel ban, a ruling upheld by the appeals court. She faced separate sentences of 15 and 37 months for charges including "propaganda against the regime" and "insulting sanctities." Over her lifetime, she has faced 5 convictions totaling around 12 years of imprisonment across 12 legal cases.

Prison Letters and Stances (2022–2024)

Following her imprisonment, she issued messages commemorating her father as a "martyr" (November 2022). In September 2024, on the eve of the anniversary of the Woman, Life, Freedom movement, she published a letter from Evin Prison criticizing fellow female political prisoners for "fascist behaviors," "dictatorship," and creating an "atmosphere of terror." This letter drew sharp pushback and accusations from other inmates like Golrokhi Iraee.

Conditional Release and Post-Release Stances (September 2024 onwards)

She was released from Evin Prison on conditional release on September 18, 2024, after serving about two years of her sentence, famously remarking, "I didn't want to be released, they forced me out of prison." In November 2025, she reiterated claims that her father's death was orchestrated by internal actors rather than foreign entities.

Frequently Asked Questions

Who is Faezeh Hashemi Bahramani?

Faezeh Hashemi Bahramani (born January 7, 1963, in Qom) is a prominent Iranian reformist politician, former Member of Parliament for Tehran in the 5th term, second daughter of Akbar Hashemi Rafsanjani, founding member of the Executives of Construction Party, former head of the Islamic Federation of Women's Sports, and a controversial figure with 5 judicial convictions totaling about 12 years in prison.

What is Faezeh Hashemi's family background?

According to published reports: "She is the third child of Akbar Hashemi Rafsanjani and Effat Marashi. Her sister Fatemeh and brother Mohsen are older, while Mehdi and Yasser are her younger brothers."

When did Faezeh Hashemi become a member of the 5th Parliament?

According to published reports: "She ran in the 5th parliamentary elections and managed to enter the 5th Parliament as the second representative of Tehran."

When did she assume leadership of the Islamic Federation of Women's Sports?

According to published reports: "Faezeh Hashemi assumed the presidency of the Islamic Federation of Women's Sports starting in 1990."

What are Faezeh Hashemi's educational credentials?

According to published reports: "She also notes that in addition to holding two master's degrees in Human Rights and International Law, she holds two bachelor's degrees in Management from Al-Zahra University and Political Science from the Tehran Central Branch of the Azad University."

When was she arrested in 2022?

According to published reports: "Faezeh Hashemi Rafsanjani was arrested by security forces in Tehran on September 27, 2022. Fars News Agency, close to security institutions, reported that her arrest was due to her participation in nationwide protests."

What were her judicial convictions?

According to published reports: "In late January 2023, Mrs. Hashemi Rafsanjani was sentenced in the preliminary court to five years in prison and a travel ban, which was ultimately upheld entirely by the Tehran Province Court of Appeal," alongside concurrent sentences of 15 and 37 months for propaganda and insulting sanctities.

When was she released from prison?

According to published reports: "On Wednesday, September 18, 2024, Faezeh Hashemi was released... My client's sentence was three years, of which she served about two years, and today she was released from prison on conditional release rather than 'absolute freedom.'"

What was the total of her judicial convictions?

According to Faezeh Hashemi's own statements: "Ideals... subjected me to pressure groups for decades (since the 1990s), dragged me into interrogations and courts (12 cases), and ultimately sent me to prison once in 2012 and a second time in October 2022 (with 5 convictions totaling around 12 years)."

What was her notable letter from Evin Prison?

According to published reports: "About a week ago, Mrs. Hashemi wrote a letter from prison on the eve of the anniversary of the 'Woman, Life, Freedom' movement, in which she accused a number of female prisoners of 'dictatorship' and 'fascist behaviors.'"