Amir Abbas Fakhravar (Persian:امیرعباس فخرآور), former research fellow at the Center for the Study of Culture and Security atThe Institute of World Politics,[2] is an Iranian dissident.[3][4] Fakhravar served as the Secretary General of theConfederation of Iranian Students[5] and President of the "Iranian Freedom Institute" in Washington, D.C.[6]
Currently, Fakhravar is the Senate Chairman ofNational Iranian Congress (NIC) an organization opposing the Islamic Republic regime in Iran.[7]
According to his own account, Fakhravar was a student leader duringIran student protests, July 1999.[8][9] Several Iranian former student activists have said they had never heard of him.[10]
AnAmnesty International press release published in 2004, designates Fakhravar as aprisoner of conscience who was sentenced to eight years of imprisonment fordefamation charges in November 2002, because of comments he made on Iranian authorities in his book,This Place is Not a Ditch.[11] The statement further adds sometime between January and February 2004, he was held atWard 325, where he was reportedly subject to solitary confinement andwhite torture, before being granted a 2-daysfurlough on or around 8 February 2004.[11] According to the same release, he was moved toQasr prison upon his return and on or around 21 March, he was given another leave lasting 19 days for the new year holidays, as part of an annual temporary release of prisoners.[11][12][13]
On 17 July 2005,Eli Lake did an interview with Fakhravar while on temporary release to participate in his university exams, in which he said, "I forgot to report back to prison" and that he was going to ignore his arrest warrant.[14] In October 2005,RFE/RL reported that Fakhravar has been on leave since June of the same year, and has told them about his decision to refuse to return to prison and his sister of being informed at the court that government forces are authorized toshoot him on sight.[15]
Various Iranian activists have contested allegations of Fakhravar and his credentials as a political prisoner.[1][10][8][9]
Fakhravar took a commercial flight toDubai,United Arab Emirates.[1]AWikiLeaks cable from the American Consul writes that Fakhravar left Iran "while on prison leave" and "with the help of 'friends' whobribed [Iranian] airport officials not to enter his name into the computer".[16]
Fakhravar founded 'Iran Enterprise Institute' (IEI), which took its name as well as some of its funding from the AEI.[1] According to a source talking toThe American Prospect, in 2006 he applied for U.S. government funds appropriated byIran Freedom and Support Act for three projects totaling $3 million, but it is unclear how much money, if any was received.[22]
In 2013, he established a 'National Iran Congress (NIC), and drafted a constitution modeled after the constitution of Western countries for future Iran.[23]
Israeli foreign ministry refused to grant Fakhravar a visa in 2011, following an invitation by an Israeli institute.Yossi Melman ofHaaretz reported that his denial was a result of efforts made by Richard Horowitz, a New York attorney and former IDF officer who brought concerns about his credibility and motivations to Israeli officials.[26]
In late January/early February, Amir Abbas Fakhravar and the CIS team visited Israel to speak with members of parliament and Israeli opinion makers.[27] January 28, 2012,Ynetnews an Israeli newspaper wrote Tzipi Livni meets Amir Abbas Fakhravar, the Iranian opposition member.[28]Jerusalem Post wrote Livni's statement came during a meeting she and Kadima MKNachman Shai held with Amir Abbas Fakhravar and Saghar Erica Kasraie of the Confederation of Iranian Students in Tel Aviv. January 28, 2012, Ynetnews, an Israeli newspaper, wrote Tzipi Livni met Amir Abbas Fakhravar, Iranian opposition member.[29] Fakhravar had an interview withJerusalem Post and said "Attack will bring ayatollahs, allies, public legitimacy."[30] Fakhravar was speaker on a panel discussion at the 12th Annual Herzliya Conference "Iran: Will Sanctions Work?"[31] During the trip, Fakhravar also visited the Israeli Knesset on January 31, 2012, to meet with MK Shai Hermesh (Kadima).[32] The trip had been noted in several articles in theJerusalem Post and other national Israeli Media. Channel 2 TV- Jerusalem – Amir Fakhravar's Interview with Ulpan ShiShi on prime-time news. Several campaigns were started on Facebook and Social media after this interview with the direct message of this interview: We (the Iranians) Love Israel. Israelis Love Iranian, Iranian Loves Israel.[32]
In an interview withYnet, Fakhravar said 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' mid-level officials will shave their beards, don ties and join the (civilians) on the streets."[36]
Fakhravar, Amir Abbas (2016).Comrade Ayatollah: Soviet kGB's Role In The Islamic Revolution and The Rise Of Khamenei To Power in Iran. Ketab.com. p. 700.ISBN9781595845214.
The Spirit of the Constitutional Law (2024)[40][41]
Fakhravar says hisThis Place is not a Ditch was a finalist for the 2001-2002 version of 'Paulo Coelho Literary Prize'.[37] Journalist Laura Rozen states that the existence of such an award has been questioned.[39]
Fakhravar wrote in his bookComrade Ayatollah thatSupreme Leader of IranAli Khamenei is aSoviet agent trained byKGB. He toldAsharq Al-Awsat that the book includes hundreds of documents, adding, "I obtained the documents from the KJB [sic] archive, as well as theCIA and IsraeliMossad and even theIranian intelligence itself. I did not use a single Iranian opposition document".[38] Belén Fernández describes the book as a successful appeal to attract the attention ofTrump administration officials and like-minded media likeFox News.[16]
"The Case for War:In Defense of Freedom" in 2007, Amir Abbas Fakhravar participatedRichard Perle presented this documentary articulating his view of the challenges facing the U.S. post 9/11, and debating with his critics including Richard Holbrooke, Simon Jenkins, and Abdel Bari Atwan. The film was broadcast by PBS in their seriesAmerica at a Crossroads.[44]
Forbidden Iran in 2004, Fakhravar's story and organization was one of the main parts of this documentary about the Iranian Student Movement and July 9, 1999.[45][46]
^"Lecture with Amir Fakhravar".The Institute Of World Policy. September 23, 2010.Archived from the original on August 27, 2019. RetrievedSeptember 16, 2019.
^abcErlich, Reese; Scheer, Robert (2016).The Iran Agenda: The Real Story of U.S. Policy and the Middle East Crisis. Routledge. p. 98.ISBN978-1317257370.
^Rozen, Laura (14 November 2006),"Iran Hawks Reorganize",The American Prospect, retrieved25 April 2020
^Katzman, Kenneth (6 February 2020),"Iran: Internal Politics and U.S. Policy and Options"(PDF),Congressional Research Service, p. 34, RL32048, retrieved20 March 2020,An offshoot, the Confederation of Iranian Students (CIS), led by U.S. based Amir Abbas Fakhravar, believes in regime replacement and 2013 formed a "National Iran Congress" that has drafted a constitution, modeled after western constitutions, for a future republic of Iran.
^Jason Lee Steorts (December 5, 2005)."Message from Underground".National Review.Archived from the original on September 23, 2019. RetrievedSeptember 23, 2019.
^Bruck, Connie (23 June 2008),"The Brass Ring: A Multibillionaire's Relentless Quest for Global Influence",The New Yorker, archived fromthe original on 23 July 2014,...Adelson referred to another Iranian dissident at the conference, Amir Abbas Fakhravar, whom he said he would like to support, saying, "I like Fakhravar because he says that, if we attack, the Iranian people will be ecstatic."
^Carla Garapedian (January 2004)."Forbidden Iran".Public Broadcasting Service.Archived from the original on September 23, 2019. RetrievedSeptember 23, 2019.
^Jane Kokan (January 2004)."Forbidden Iran Transcript".Public Broadcasting Service.Archived from the original on September 23, 2019. RetrievedSeptember 23, 2019.
