Samad Khan, Prince Momtazosaltaneh was from a prominent Azeri family in Persia, with his father a well-known aristocrat and diplomat. In the 1880s Prince Momtazosaltaneh was appointed embassy counsellor in St. Petersburg, Russia. He then served as Persian minister to Belgium and the Netherlands before being Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary Minister in France in April 1905, a post he held for 21 years. Samad Khan never returned to Persia, living his life in Paris. He also attended the 1906 meeting of the International Committee of the Red Cross as the only Asian and Muslim representative. In 1946 he was appointed by the French government as councilor of the Iranian Embassy in Paris, and held that role until September 1951. He was also made a Grand Officier de la Légion d’honneur by the French government. Samad Khan was made a Prince by Ahmad Shah Qajar, with the title of Royal Highness, in March 1921. Samad Khan was an IOC Member from November 1923 until April 1927 but never attended an IOC Session.
Islamic Republic of Iran