Erwin David Rabhan | |
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| Born | (1926-09-09)September 9, 1926 Savannah, Georgia, U.S. |
| Died | November 12, 2024(2024-11-12) (aged 98) Richmond, Virginia, U.S. |
| Education | University of Georgia (BSc) |
| Occupation | Businessman |
Erwin David Rabhan[1] (September 9, 1926 – November 12, 2024) was an American businessman fromSavannah, Georgia.[2]
Rabhan was born to a prominentIranian Jewish family on September 9, 1926,[3] in Savannah, Georgia,[4] where he grew up. In 1943, he graduated fromBenedictine Military Academy in Savannah. In 1949, he graduated fromUniversity of Georgia with aBachelor of Science degree in agriculture.[3]
He was a longtime friend of former U.S. PresidentJimmy Carter and he served as the pilot for Carter's second campaign for governor of Georgia in 1970. Rabhan was imprisoned inIran for nearly 11 years, from September 1979 to August 6, 1990. He was initially charged with breaking Iranian financial laws and then later charged with spying, though he was never officially charged. It was speculated that he was targeted due to his friendship with Carter.[5] Rabhan described his lengthy prison experience as a "conscious coma... I feel like a realRip van Winkle."[6]
Rabhan arrived back in the U.S. on September 14, 1990, flying into Atlanta'sHartsfield Airport. Former President Carter greeted him there upon his arrival.[2] Carter had advocated for his friend's release from imprisonment,[7] and referred to him as a "hostage" of Iran. He privately asked the U.S. State Department to declare him a hostage, but that was never done.[5]
Rabhan wrote about his experiences in the 2004 bookConscious Coma: Ten Years in an Iranian Prison.[8]
Rabhan died inRichmond, Virginia on November 12, 2024, at the age of 98.[9]
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