Amir-Abbas Fakhravar

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Amir-Abbas Fakhravar

Occupation Writer, political activist, former journalist

Amir-Abbas Fakhravar [1] (Persian: امیر عباس فخرآور, Amir-Abbās Fakhr-āvar, also known as Siavash (Persian: سیاوش), born 6 July , 1975 in Tehran) is an Iranian-American writer, and former journalist[2] for the now banned pro-reform daily newspapers Mosharekat and Khordad.[3] He is known for his political activism and has been described as one of Iran’s student leaders.[4][5][6] He is currently based in Washington, DC. [7]

He was one of the first of the democratic opposition in Iran to call for a constitutional referendum to rescind the powers of the Supreme Leader and Council of Guardians.[8]

Fakhravar is the founder of the Iranian Freedom Movement (In Persian: Jonbeshe Azadye Iranian).[2] He is also the chairman of the Independent student movement (In Persian: Jonbeshe mostaghele daneshjooyan) and describes himself as "fervent supporter of a united free Iran".[2]

Contents

[edit] Background and student life

Fakhravar was born in the capital city, Tehran. His father Mohammad Bagher was an officer in the Iranian Air Force. He attended gifted education program in middle and high school and later he received his high school diploma in mathematics and physics. [2] It was in his senior year in high school when he was arrested for the first time. [2]

[edit] Student activism and journalism

Later he started his higher education at the University of Medical Sciences in Urmia, where he was elected as the chairman to the student government body of the university in 1994. [2] In 1995 due to his political activity, together with 17 other students, he was confined by the Iranian Ministry of Intelligence and suspended for two semesters and later transferred to Bushehr University of Medical Sciences. [2]

In 1997 he published his first book titled "سبزترین چشم زمین" (Sabztarin Cheshme Zamin, the greenest eyes on earth), while he was on the frontline of the student movement. He claims to have had a prominent role in the July 1999 Iranian student protests that took place on Tehran University Campus, after authorities had raided the student dormitories. [2]

In his job as a journalist in the Khordad and Mosharekat newspapers, Fakhravar tried to "expose" the wrong-doings of the authorities against his fellow students, especially in his column titled "کی میدونه بهتر از مردم" (Ki midooneh behtar az mardom, Who knows better than the People) published in Moshakerat, in which he publicized the "atrocities" taking place on campus in the Tehran University. [2]

Khordad newspaper was closed in November 1999, and its chief editor Abdollah Noori sentenced to 5 years imprisonment. [9] Furthermore Mosharekat newspaper was closed during closure of 17 reformist newspapers in April 2001. [10][11] Later that year Fakhravar was taken from his home on December 31 by five men in civilian clothing [10] to the Evin prison and tortured heavily until he had to be transferred to "Ghamar-e Bani Hashem" hospital in Tehran for emergency treatment. [12]

[edit] Imprisonment

Fakhravar and Ahmad Batebi in Evin prison
Fakhravar and Ahmad Batebi in Evin prison

Fakhravar had been imprisoned in Iran for his political activism 19 times, with his first experience at the age of 17, [4] when he was still in high school. [2]

In November 2002, [3][13] while Fakhravar was still at university, he was sentenced to an eight year sentence in the Evin prison for publishing a criticism of Ayatollah Khamenei, the Supreme Leader of Islamic Republic of Iran, in an article labelled "This Place is Not a Ditch" [8][14]

In Evin prison, he served together with Ahmad Batebi where they both sent a letter to the International PEN organization on behalf of "Imprisoned Students" in Evin, discussing Iran's struggles for democracy and the problems they face in prison.[15]

After a short period of leave from the Evin prison, he was ordered to appear at 26th branch of the Islamic Revolutionary Court on 18 March 2003 for an appeal hearing, [16] during which he was denied representation by the two lawyers who had represented him on previous occasions. [3] After an argument with the judge, he was beaten in front of the court by the judge Seyyed Madjid Hosseinian, [17] which resulted in him sustaining heavy knee injuries [18] and a broken leg [17] before being transferred to the Qasr prison. [3] This incident is likely to have taken place because of open letter Fakhravar had written to the authorities on 4 February 2003 in which he criticized the Iranian government and demanded a referendum on the future government of Iran. [3] He was reportedly denied medical treatment for the reportedly severe injuries sustained in court and a previously existing foot injury. [3]

In January 2004, he was taken from Qasr prison to a military detention center named "125", [19][20] outside the official prison system and controlled by the Islamic Republic Revolutionary Guards, [21] for interrogation about alleged links with an opposition political organization called Iranian Freedom Movement (Persian: Jonbesh-e Azadi-ye Iraniyan) [3] His treatments in this detention center have been described as first known example of white torture in Iran by Amnesty International. [3][5] His conditions were described by Amnesty International as:

“ His cell there had no windows, and was entirely coloured creamy white, as were his clothes. At meal times, he was reportedly given white rice on white, disposable paper plates and if he needed to use the toilet, he had to put a white slip of paper under the door of the cell to alert guards, who reportedly had footwear designed to muffle any sound. He was forbidden to speak to anyone. Amnesty International has been told that "the silence is deafening". [22] ”

He was granted 19 days of leave from prison for Norooz (Iranian New Year) on or around 21 March 2004. The judge had told Fakhravar's father to let Amnesty know about this short release, when he had came to collect the paperwork. [22]

In 2005 after three years of imprisonment he received a two-day temporary leave from prison in order to participate in his law degree exam [13], after which he didn’t return to prison.[2] As a consequence of this action an order to shoot on sight was issued in his name.[2][13]

[edit] In United States

In late April 2006, he arrived in the United States from Dubai where he had been greeted by Richard Perle [5] who interrupted his trip to central Asia in order to meet Fakhravar in a hotel. [23] They had been in touch through a contact since 2003. [23] Their meeting in Dubai was recorded and some of it is included in a documentary titled "The Case for War: In Defense of Freedom". [24][25]

Since his arrival he has called for a unified Iranian opposition to the Islamic government, in order to bring regime change in Iran. [23] He has had several meetings with American officials from the Pentagon to the State Department, as well as with Vice President Dick Cheney.[26]

He also appeared on a hearing titled "Iran's Nuclear Impasse: Next Steps" in July 2006 held by U.S. Senate Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs representing Independent student movement, along with Michael Ledeen (American Enterprise Institute), Ilan Berman (American Foreign Policy Council), Ray Takehy (Council on Foreign Relations) and Jim Walsh (Massachusetts Institute of Technology),[27][28] where he called the Iranian reform movement a "dead end" and advocated regime change.[29] In his speech he also condemned military efforts against in Iran:

"About military efforts: No one wants war, neither we nor you. Our greatest efforts have been focusing on own people and forces within our boundaries, without war, to uproot the zealot Mullahs governing our country and replace them with a secular, democratic government which respects human rights and freedom".[29] [30]

He has met with President George W. Bush and senior administrators in the State Department and The Pentagon and also with American experts and analysts on Iran, like professor Bernard Lewis and others.[6] In a lunch attended by key Pentagon and State Department officials Michael Ledeen spoke of Fakhravar:

"He's a unifying figure. He's strong physically and psychologically. I think he's extraordinarily smart. He's one of the few Iranian opposition figures I've met who can think through the way Westerners look at Iran and help them understand." [31]

[edit] Political view

Fakhravar advocates change of regime in Iran; he was one of the first of the democratic opposition in Iran to call for a constitutional referendum.[8] He describes himself as a "Republican" (Persian: جمهوریخواه) but he also says that he respects Reza Pahlavi and he would support the people of Iran if they voted for a constitutional monarchy. [32]

In the 2005 Iranian presidential elections he was in support of boycotting the elections in Iran, claiming that the regime has no legitimacy and the presidential elections should be turned into a referendum, a claim also supported by Abbas Amir-Entezam, the longest serving political prisoner in the middle east. [4]

Fakhravar strongly opposed president Ahmadinejad's attempts of "second cultural revolution" such as appointing hardliner clerics such as Amid Zanjani, famous for his work as a religious prosecutor, as chancellorship of Tehran University. [33]

While he was on hunger strike in front of the United Nations headquarters in New York with Akbar Ganji in order to highlight the plight of Iranian political prisoners, he was interviewed by Jahanshah Javid (owner of Iranian.com). In the interview he denied that he is a monarchist, or in favour of war with Iran.[34]

In March 2007, speaking at the Secular Islam Summit in St. Petersburg, Florida, he called for USA to help to overthrow the government in Iran by supporting the "silent army" (the internal opposition movements in Iran) by encouragement through media, along with tough economic sanctions imposed on Iran. [35]

In an interview with Ynet Fakhravar described that if the West launches a military attack on Iran, "the top brass will flee immediately. People will come out onto the streets protesting, why are we being bombed? Many of the regime’s mid-level officials will shave their beards, don ties and join the (civilians) on the streets."[6]

[edit] Books

  • Sabztarin Cheshme zamin (The greenest eyes on earth), 1997.
  • Inja chah nist (This place is not a ditch), 2002.
  • Hanooz ham; varagh parehaye zendan (Still, the scraps of prison), 2005.

[edit] Awards and honors

  • His novel “Inja chah nist” (This Place is Not a Ditch) was short listed for the Paulo Coelho prize for literature in 2003.[2]
  • Honorary member of the English and the International PEN Organization.[2]
  • Focus of International PEN's "Day of the Imprisoned Writer" campaign in 2004 for "serving eight years in Iran for writing a book critical of the authorities" [36]

[edit] Trivia

  • In a 2004 documentary called Forbidden Iran, a video of Fakhravar in his house talking to his mother and preparing her for his execution which he believed was imminent was included. [37][38]

[edit] See also

Wikiquote has a collection of quotations related to:

[edit] External links

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[edit] References

  1. ^ Various spellings of the Persian name can also include: Amir Abbas Fakhravar, AmirAbbas Fakhravar, Amir-Abbas Fakhr-Avar, Amir Abbas Fakhr Avar.
  2. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n A.A Fakhravar, Biography, Fakhravar.com. Retrieved on April 07, 2007.
  3. ^ a b c d e f g h Cathy McCann Student/Journalist Ill-treated in Jail, NEAR International, March 17, 2004.
  4. ^ a b c Safa Haeri interview with Fakhravar. The Islamic Republic has no legitimacy, Iran Press Service, April 7, 2005. Retrieved on March 10, 2007.
  5. ^ a b c Sarah Baxter. Fugitive pleads with US to 'liberate' Iran, The Sunday Times, May 21, 2006. Retrieved on March 10, 2007.
  6. ^ a b c Yitzhak Benhorin. Iranian student leader: Ayatollahs will run if Iran attacked, Ynet, January 20, 2007. Retrieved on March 10, 2007.
  7. ^ Nazanin Afshinjam, Evidence, Canadian House of Commons Standing Committee on Foreign Affairs and International Development, March 27, 2007. Retrieved April 17, 2007.
  8. ^ a b c Eli Lake. Ganji Is Near Death in Iranian Prison, a Dissident Reports, The New York Sun, July 18, 2005. Retrieved on March 10, 2007.
  9. ^ Iranian Courts used to suppress political opinion and journalistic freedom, Amnesty International, 01 December 1999. Retrieved April 10, 2007.
  10. ^ a b Journalist disappears, PRIMA, January 5, 2001. Retrieved April 10, 2007.
  11. ^ Iranian protest at press closures, BBC News, 26 April 2000. Retrieved April 10, 2007.
  12. ^ Journalist tortured, PRIMA, January 12, 2001. Retrieved April 10, 2007.
  13. ^ a b c Jim Phillips, Why Iranians Do Not Think Like the Iranian Regime, The Heritage Foundation, October 2, 2006. Retrieved on March 10, 2007.
  14. ^ Cathy McCann. "Day Of The Imprisoned Writer", International PEN, November 15, 2004. Retrieved on March 10, 2007
  15. ^ Cathy McCann. Letter From Ahmad Batebi & Other Imprisoned Students, International PEN, February 04, 2003. Retrieved on March 10, 2007.
  16. ^ Nazanin Ansari, Norouz is in the Air but the Islamic Regime has Dispirited its Atmosphere, Iran va Jahan Network, March 22, 2003. Retrieved on April 10, 2007.
  17. ^ a b Assaults Continue on Leading Political Activist in Jail, Iran va Jahan Network, June 10, 2003. Retrieved on April 10, 2007.
  18. ^ Alert, Iran va Jahan Network, March 19, 2003. Retrieved on April 10, 2007.
  19. ^ Victims of political Islam: Amir Abbas Fakhravar, No To Political Islam. September 22, 2004. Retrieved on April 07, 2007.
  20. ^ 2006 Report on Human Rights Practices in Iran, Journal of Turkish Weekly, 08 March 2007. Retrieved on April 07, 2007.
  21. ^ Helping to break the Silence: Urgent Actions on Iran, Amnesty International, April 1, 2004.
  22. ^ a b "Please let Amnesty know that we gave your son leave from prison": the case of Amir Abbas Fakhravar, Amnesty International, 1 April 2004. Retrieved April 10, 2007.
  23. ^ a b c Eli Lake, Iranian Dissident to Seek Support For Opposition, The New York Sun, May 9, 2006. Retrieved on April 08, 2007.
  24. ^ Sharon Weinberger, The World According to Richard Perle, April 18, 2007.
  25. ^ America at a crossroads, Public Broadcasting Service, April, 2007
  26. ^ Eli Lake. Iran Dissident Plots Escape to Freedom From the Mullahs, The New York Sun, October 3, 2005. Retrieved on March 10, 2007.
  27. ^ Iran's Nuclear Impasse: Next Steps Senate Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs
  28. ^ Laura Rozen. Has Washington found its Iranian Chalabi? , Mother Jones, October 6, 2006. Retrieved on March 10, 2007.
  29. ^ a b Fakhravar's testimonyPDF (23.3 KiB) at the United States Senate Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs, July, 2006. Retrieved on March 10, 2007.
  30. ^ Testimony in Persian
  31. ^ Toby Harnden, Ex-student hailed as Iran's hope, The Daily Telegraph, July 2, 2006. Retrieved April 20, 2007.
  32. ^ Fakhravar, I am a Republican, October, 2006. Retrieved 27 March, 2007.
  33. ^ Jason Lee Steorts, Message from Underground, National Review, December 5, 2005.
  34. ^ Jahanshah Javid. The republican prince (Interview with video clips), Iranian.com, July 17, 2006. Retrieved on March 10, 2007.
  35. ^ Art Moore. Silent army can overthrow Iran's mullahs, Worldnet daily, March 16, 2007. Retrieved March 26, 2007
  36. ^ Lucy Popescu, Day of the Imprisoned Writer 2004, International PEN, November 14, 2004.
  37. ^ Forbidden Iran, Public Broadcasting Service, January 2004. Retrieved 09 April 2007.
  38. ^ transcript, Public Broadcasting Service, January 2004. Retrieved 09 April 2007.
  39. ^ Full list can be found here


Persondata
NAME Fakhravar, Amir Abbas
ALTERNATIVE NAMES Fakhravar, Siavash
SHORT DESCRIPTION Iranian political activist
DATE OF BIRTH July 6, 1975
PLACE OF BIRTH Tehran, Iran
DATE OF DEATH
PLACE OF DEATH
Languages