Ali Afshari
Encyclopedia
Ali Afshari is an Iranian activist.
For ten years Afshari has campaigned for reform-minded leaders and change within the Islamic Republic
, with posts including membership on the Central Council of Office for Strengthening Unity
and membership on the Central Council of the Islamic Student Association at Amirkabir University of Technology
, where he served as the secretary of the association for three years. He was a fellow at the National Endowment for Democracy
.
From 2000 to 2003, Afshari was arrested by the Islamic Republic on four different occasions and imprisoned on charges that he was threatening the national security of the country though his role in pro-democracy programs on college campuses. During this time, he served 400 days in solitary confinement, including 328 days consecutively. On 16 May 2001, following five months in detention and before being charged or brought to trial, he appeared on Iranian state television confessing to a plot to overthrow the Islamic Republic of Iran and apologizing to the Leader of the Islamic Republic, Ali Khamenei, for his mistakes. This confession was broadcast across Iran and garnered attention from the public.
In 2008 interviews with Iran Human Rights Documentation Center
, Afshari stated that he gave the confession after repeated beatings, threats of beatings, sleep deprivation and threats that his family would be harmed.
(Tehran Polytechnic) in 2004, Afshari has traveled to Ireland and the United States in an effort to bring the injustices of the Islamic Regime to light. Afshari has published his views in over forty essays and papers including Roozonline, Gooya news and has been profiled by the BBC
, Agence France Presse and The Irish Times
.
On March 2, 2006 he and Akbar Atri
gave talks on human right and democracy in Iran
at a panel discussion organized by Senator Rick Santorum
and Senator Joe Lieberman
at the U.S. Capitol. The event was sponsored by The Foundation for Defense of Democracies and the Iranian Students for Democracy and Human Rights. Their talk provided information on human rights abuses in Iran and detailed the progress of Iran ’s pro-democracy movement as well as the hurdles confronting it.
For ten years Afshari has campaigned for reform-minded leaders and change within the Islamic Republic
Islamic republic
Islamic republic is the name given to several states in the Muslim world including the Islamic Republics of Pakistan, Iran, Afghanistan, and Mauritania. Pakistan adopted the title under the constitution of 1956. Mauritania adopted it on 28 November 1958. Iran adopted it after the 1979 Iranian...
, with posts including membership on the Central Council of Office for Strengthening Unity
Office for Strengthening Unity
The Office for Strengthening Unity , is an Iranian student organization created in 1979, and has been described as "the country's most well-known student organization," and "Iran's leading prodemocracy student group"...
and membership on the Central Council of the Islamic Student Association at Amirkabir University of Technology
Amirkabir University of Technology
Amirkabir University of Technology , formerly called the Tehran Polytechnic is a public research university located in Tehran, Iran. AUT is one of the most prestigious universities and the first established technical university in Iran...
, where he served as the secretary of the association for three years. He was a fellow at the National Endowment for Democracy
National Endowment for Democracy
The National Endowment for Democracy, or NED, is a U.S. non-profit organization that was founded in 1983 to promote US-friendly democracy by providing cash grants funded primarily through an annual allocation from the U.S. Congress...
.
Biography
From 1995 to 1999 Afshari was a member of Central Council of the Islamic Student Association at Amirkabir University of Technology, serving as the Secretary of the Association. From 1999 to 2004 he was a member of Central Council of the Office to Foster Unity National Islamic Student Association (Daftar- Tahkim-e Vahdat). From 1996 to 1997 Afshari was coordinator of Khatami’s Student Political Campaign, including coordination of student activities and gatherings in support of Khatami’s presidential election nationally in 30 universities. From 2000 to 2003, he was imprisoned by the Islamic Republic of Iran for political crimes, including activities against national security. 400 of these days were spent in solitary confinement.From 2000 to 2003, Afshari was arrested by the Islamic Republic on four different occasions and imprisoned on charges that he was threatening the national security of the country though his role in pro-democracy programs on college campuses. During this time, he served 400 days in solitary confinement, including 328 days consecutively. On 16 May 2001, following five months in detention and before being charged or brought to trial, he appeared on Iranian state television confessing to a plot to overthrow the Islamic Republic of Iran and apologizing to the Leader of the Islamic Republic, Ali Khamenei, for his mistakes. This confession was broadcast across Iran and garnered attention from the public.
In 2008 interviews with Iran Human Rights Documentation Center
Iran Human Rights Documentation Center
The Iran Human Rights Documentation Center is a registered non-profit organization based in New Haven, Connecticut. HRDC was founded in 2004 by a group of human rights scholars, activists, and historians to document the patterns of human rights abuse in Iran and to promote accountability, a...
, Afshari stated that he gave the confession after repeated beatings, threats of beatings, sleep deprivation and threats that his family would be harmed.
Advocacy
After completing his Masters of Science in Industrial Engineering at Amirkabir University of TechnologyAmirkabir University of Technology
Amirkabir University of Technology , formerly called the Tehran Polytechnic is a public research university located in Tehran, Iran. AUT is one of the most prestigious universities and the first established technical university in Iran...
(Tehran Polytechnic) in 2004, Afshari has traveled to Ireland and the United States in an effort to bring the injustices of the Islamic Regime to light. Afshari has published his views in over forty essays and papers including Roozonline, Gooya news and has been profiled by the BBC
BBC
The British Broadcasting Corporation is a British public service broadcaster. Its headquarters is at Broadcasting House in the City of Westminster, London. It is the largest broadcaster in the world, with about 23,000 staff...
, Agence France Presse and The Irish Times
The Irish Times
The Irish Times is an Irish daily broadsheet newspaper launched on 29 March 1859. The editor is Kevin O'Sullivan who succeeded Geraldine Kennedy in 2011; the deputy editor is Paul O'Neill. The Irish Times is considered to be Ireland's newspaper of record, and is published every day except Sundays...
.
On March 2, 2006 he and Akbar Atri
Akbar Atri
Akbar Atri is a leading proponent of democracy and human rights in Iran. Mr. Atri joined the Iranian student movement in 1995 and was elected to a central leadership role in Tahkim Vahdat, Iran’s largest and most prominent student organization, annually from 1997 to 2005. He is a founding member...
gave talks on human right and democracy in Iran
Iran
Iran , officially the Islamic Republic of Iran , is a country in Southern and Western Asia. The name "Iran" has been in use natively since the Sassanian era and came into use internationally in 1935, before which the country was known to the Western world as Persia...
at a panel discussion organized by Senator Rick Santorum
Rick Santorum
Richard John "Rick" Santorum is a lawyer and a former United States Senator from the commonwealth of Pennsylvania. Santorum was the chairman of the Senate Republican Conference -making him the third-ranking Senate Republican from 2001 until his leave in 2007. Santorum is considered both a social...
and Senator Joe Lieberman
Joe Lieberman
Joseph Isadore "Joe" Lieberman is the senior United States Senator from Connecticut. A former member of the Democratic Party, he was the party's nominee for Vice President in the 2000 election. Currently an independent, he remains closely affiliated with the party.Born in Stamford, Connecticut,...
at the U.S. Capitol. The event was sponsored by The Foundation for Defense of Democracies and the Iranian Students for Democracy and Human Rights. Their talk provided information on human rights abuses in Iran and detailed the progress of Iran ’s pro-democracy movement as well as the hurdles confronting it.