Habibollah Tahghighi

Born: 27 October 1927, Yazd

Executed by firing squad in Tabriz on 29 July 1981

At a young age Habibollah Tahghighi’s parents moved to Ahvaz where he completed high school.  He then enrolled in the college of Petroleum Studies at Abadan University and was later awarded a scholarship to further his studies in England.  Upon his return to Iran he was employed by the Oil Refinery Works of Abadan.  He married in 1957 and was transferred to a refinery near Tehran in 1967.  Ten years later he moved to Tabriz to help establish a refinery there. 

He was a member of the Local Spiritual Assembly[1] of the Bahia’s of Tabriz.  In 1981 due to his adherence to Baha’i Faith he was forced into early retirement. On 5 April 1981 he was arrested and imprisoned in Tabriz.  He was not permitted any visitors until mid-July 1981.  He was executed by firing squad on 29 July 1981, together with 8 other Baha’is.  The other Baha’is were; members of the Local Spiritual Assembly of the Bahia’s of Tabriz, Hosein Asadollah-Zadeh, Manouchehr Khazei , Abdol-Ali Asadyari, Esmail Zehtab, Mehdi Baheri ,Parviz Firouzi, Auxiliary Board member[2] Masrour Dakheli and an individual Baha’i Allah-Vardi Misaghi.

 (This brief biographical note is based on the best available information. If you find any inaccuracies, or any important facts omitted, please email us through the Contact page.)

[1] Local Spiritual Assembly: a nine-member administrative body elected annually by the Baha’is of a particular area, tasked with overseeing the affairs of the Baha’i community of that area.

[2] Auxiliary Board Members: group of individuals appointed by the Continental Board of Counselors for a five year term.  Their responsibility is to encourage individuals and strengthen Baha’i communities in their area of service - usually smaller regions within a country.  Auxiliary Board Members have a consultative role in relation to the Local Spiritual Assemblies.