Amir-Abbas Fakhravar

According to his own account, Fakhravar was a student leader during Iran student protests, July 1999.[8][9] Several Iranian former student activists have said they had never heard of him.[10]

An Amnesty International press release published in 2004, designates Fakhravar as a prisoner of conscience who was sentenced to eight years of imprisonment for defamation 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 at Ward 325, where he was reportedly subject to solitary confinement and white torture, before being granted a 2-days furlough on or around 8 February 2004.[11] According to the same release, he was moved to Qasr 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 to shoot 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 to Dubai, United Arab Emirates.[1] A WikiLeaks cable from the American Consul writes that Fakhravar left Iran "while on prison leave" and "with the help of 'friends' who bribed [Iranian] airport officials not to enter his name into the computer".[16]

On July 20, 2006, Fakhravar testified at U.S. Senate Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs representing Independent student movement,[24] where he called the Iranian reform movement a "dead end" and advocated regime change.[25]

Israeli foreign ministry refused to grant Fakhravar a visa in 2011, following an invitation by an Israeli institute. Yossi Melman of Haaretz 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 MK Nachman 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 with Jerusalem 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 the Jerusalem 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 the 2005 Iranian presidential elections, he supported boycotting the elections in Iran, claiming that the regime has no legitimacy and that the presidential elections should be turned into a referendum.[33] Fakhravar strongly opposed president Mahmoud Ahmadinejad's attempts of a "second cultural revolution," such as appointing hardliner clerics such as Amid Zanjani, famous for his work as a religious prosecutor, as chancellor of Tehran University.[34]

Fakhravar says his This 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]

English PEN bestowed him honorary membership in March 2004,[40] and he was recognized on Day of the Imprisoned Writer on 15 November 2004 by Writers in Prison Committee of International PEN.[41]

Fakhravar wrote in his book Comrade Ayatollah that Supreme Leader of Iran Ali Khamenei is a Soviet agent trained by KGB. He told Asharq Al-Awsat that the book includes hundreds of documents, adding, "I obtained the documents from the KJB [sic] archive, as well as the CIA and Israeli Mossad and even the Iranian 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 of Trump administration officials and like-minded media like Fox News.[16]