On March 16, 1979, Habib Elghanian, the honorary leader of the Jewish community, was arrested on charges of "corruption", "contacts with Israel and Zionism", "friendship with the enemies of God", "warring with God and his emissaries", and "economic imperialism". He was tried by an Islamic Revolutionary Tribunal, sentenced to death, and executed on May 8,[1][83] one of 17 Iranian Jews executed as spies since the revolution.[84] Elghanian's execution brought upon the condemnation of international Jewish organizations such as World Zionist Congress and Anti Defamation League.