IRNA – The Chairman of United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) Executive Board Michael Worbs extended condolences on the demise of the late Chairman of the Expediency Council Ayatollah Akbar Hashemi Rafsanjani who passed away on Jan 8.


In his message addressed to the Iranian ambassador to UNESCO Ahmad Jalali, Worbs said that Ayatollah Rafsanjani was an important political figure, a prominent statesman, and a pragmatic reformist who can never be forgotten.

Ayatollah Rafsanjani died on January 8 (Sunday) at the age of 82 due to a heart attack in a Tehran hospital.

The late ayatollah's demise stood at the top of world news with messages of condolences by world leaders and international figures pouring into the country.