Pirouz Davani

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Pirouz Davani (1961-1997~) is, or was, a Iranian leftist activist last seen in "late August 1998 while leaving his residence in Tehran." He is thought to have been one of the victims of the "chain murders" of Iranian dissidents by "insiders" of the Islamic Republic system, though his body has not been found as of 2006. His disappearance occurred a couple of months before the killing of four other Iranian dissidents.

Pirooz Davani joined the Iranian Revolution against the Pahlavi dynasty as a youth. After the revolution succeeded he was arrested in 1981 "for his alleged links to the communist opposition" and is reported to have been imprisoned for seven months." Following the 1988 mass execution of political prisoners, he is reported to have launched a campaign against the government. "In winter of 1991, Pirooz was again arrested for his activities and after spending six months in solitary confinement, was sentenced to four years in prison. He was released from prison in 1995." Following the election of president Mohammad Khatami he "established a cultural institute to publish and promote new interpretation of left's struggle for democracy in Iran," which "lead to creation of the Organisation of Unity for Democracy in Iran."^[1] He was also the editor of the newspaper Pirooz. ^[2]