Amir Abbas Fakhravar

From HJS Event profile:

Amir Abbas Fakhravar is an Iranian student dissident, founder of the Confederation of Iranian Students and President of the Iranian Enterprise Institute. Arrested for his writings and criticism of the Islamic Republic aged 17, Amir Fakhravar spent over five years in jail suffering from brutal torture. With the help of American friends and Iranian dissidents, he moved to the United States in May 2006 where he has since met with President Bush, senior administrators in the State Department and The Pentagon as well as other prominent analysts, policy makers and experts on Iran to discuss the current situation of young Iranians, jailed journalists and political prisoners. Amir Fakhravar is the author of three books and an honorary member of English PEN and International PEN.

Adelson view

Sheldon Adelson is reported to have expressed the desire to support Fakhravar. Connie Bruck writes:

After Emerson’s presentation, Pooya Dayanim, a Jewish-Iranian democracy activist based in Los Angeles, chatted with Adelson. Recalling their conversation, Dayanim observed that Adelson was dismissive of Reza Pahlevi, the son of the former Shah, who had participated in the Prague conference, because, Adelson said, “he doesn’t want to attack Iran.” According to Dayanim, 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.” Dayanim said that when he disputed that assumption Adelson responded, "I really don't care what happens to Iran. I am for Israel."

Affiliations

• Iranian Freedom Institute -- President
• Democracy & Security International Conference -- Participant

Contact, References and Resources

Resources

• Jim Lobe, A Neo-Conservative International Targets Iran, Lobelog.com, 9 June 2007
• Laura Rozen, Has Washington Found its Iranian Chalabi?, Mother Jones, 6 October, 2006.