Ali Akbar Mousavi Khoeini
Encyclopedia
Ali Akbar Mousavi Khoeini (also known as Seyed Ali Akbar Mosavi) is a notable Iran
ian human rights
activist and politician
. He was an active member of Tahkim vahdat before he was elected as a Member of Parliament
in the 6th Parliament of Iran
. In the parliament, he made a significant attempt to defend the rights of political prisoner
s during the 1990s. He is currently the president of Advar Tahkim Vahdat.
In 1999, he was elected to the Majlis of Iran (Iranian Parliament) from the district of Tehran
. He along with Fatemeh Haghighatjoo, Ali Tajernia and others started the student faction in the parliament. They followed up the demands of student activists within the parliament. They initiated a sit-in in the parliament in support of jailed students, which resulted in many of them getting freed by the regime.
Mousavi Khoeini also helped form a committee in the parliament to visit the prisons and report on the condition of the imprisoned activists. He was able to able to uncover a number of secret facilities that were used to keep the political activists in very poor conditions. He also tried to provide ways of financial support for families of imprisoned political activists.
For the first time in the history of Islamic Republic, he pressed the Majles Khobregan
(the body which selects the supreme leader
for lifetime) to produce a report on the performance of the supreme leader.
He also founded Sazeman-e Danesh Amokhtegan-e Iran (Iran Students Alumni Organization) to defend human rights of students, women, prisoners, and minorities. This led to his involvement with the demonstration of women in June in support of women's rights
in Iran. He was arrested during this protest on June 12, 2006 in Haft-e Tir Square in Tehran and was put in solitary confinement.http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2006/09/26/AR2006092601511.html?sub=new He was released on bail on Oct 22, 2006 in part due to the efforts of Akbar Ganji
, the well known Iranian political activist recently released from jail, who launched a mass-hunger strike
campaign to free Mosavi from jail.
Mousiva Khoeini currently resides in Washington DC (source: http://www.nytimes.com/2010/03/19/world/middleeast/19iran.html).
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...
ian human rights
Human rights
Human rights are "commonly understood as inalienable fundamental rights to which a person is inherently entitled simply because she or he is a human being." Human rights are thus conceived as universal and egalitarian . These rights may exist as natural rights or as legal rights, in both national...
activist and politician
Politician
A politician, political leader, or political figure is an individual who is involved in influencing public policy and decision making...
. He was an active member of Tahkim vahdat before he was elected as a Member of Parliament
Member of Parliament
A Member of Parliament is a representative of the voters to a :parliament. In many countries with bicameral parliaments, the term applies specifically to members of the lower house, as upper houses often have a different title, such as senate, and thus also have different titles for its members,...
in the 6th Parliament of Iran
Majlis of Iran
The National Consultative Assembly of Iran , also called The Iranian Parliament or People's House, is the national legislative body of Iran...
. In the parliament, he made a significant attempt to defend the rights of political prisoner
Political prisoner
According to the Longman Dictionary of Contemporary English, a political prisoner is ‘someone who is in prison because they have opposed or criticized the government of their own country’....
s during the 1990s. He is currently the president of Advar Tahkim Vahdat.
Biography
Mousavi Khoeini started his political career as an activist in the Islamic Students Association of Khajeh Nasir University. Students in "Islamic Associations" are the biggest pro-democracy student groups in the universities in Iran. He was later elected to be a member of Adver Tahkim Vahdat, a representative body of Islamic Students Associations in Iran.In 1999, he was elected to the Majlis of Iran (Iranian Parliament) from the district of Tehran
Tehran
Tehran , sometimes spelled Teheran, is the capital of Iran and Tehran Province. With an estimated population of 8,429,807; it is also Iran's largest urban area and city, one of the largest cities in Western Asia, and is the world's 19th largest city.In the 20th century, Tehran was subject to...
. He along with Fatemeh Haghighatjoo, Ali Tajernia and others started the student faction in the parliament. They followed up the demands of student activists within the parliament. They initiated a sit-in in the parliament in support of jailed students, which resulted in many of them getting freed by the regime.
Mousavi Khoeini also helped form a committee in the parliament to visit the prisons and report on the condition of the imprisoned activists. He was able to able to uncover a number of secret facilities that were used to keep the political activists in very poor conditions. He also tried to provide ways of financial support for families of imprisoned political activists.
For the first time in the history of Islamic Republic, he pressed the Majles Khobregan
Assembly of Experts
The Assembly of Experts of Iran , also translated as Council of Experts, is a deliberative body of 86 Mujtahids that is charged with electing and removing the Supreme Leader of Iran and supervising his activities.Members of the assembly are elected from a government-screened list of candidates by...
(the body which selects the supreme leader
Supreme Leader of Iran
The Supreme Leader of Iran is the highest ranking political and religious authority in the Islamic Republic of Iran. The post was established by the constitution in accordance with the concept of Guardianship of the Islamic Jurists...
for lifetime) to produce a report on the performance of the supreme leader.
He also founded Sazeman-e Danesh Amokhtegan-e Iran (Iran Students Alumni Organization) to defend human rights of students, women, prisoners, and minorities. This led to his involvement with the demonstration of women in June in support of women's rights
Women's rights
Women's rights are entitlements and freedoms claimed for women and girls of all ages in many societies.In some places these rights are institutionalized or supported by law, local custom, and behaviour, whereas in others they may be ignored or suppressed...
in Iran. He was arrested during this protest on June 12, 2006 in Haft-e Tir Square in Tehran and was put in solitary confinement.http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2006/09/26/AR2006092601511.html?sub=new He was released on bail on Oct 22, 2006 in part due to the efforts of Akbar Ganji
Akbar Ganji
Akbar Ganji is an Iranian journalist and writer. He has been described as "Iran’s preeminent political dissident", and a "wildly popular pro-democracy journalist" who has crossed press censorship "red lines" regularly...
, the well known Iranian political activist recently released from jail, who launched a mass-hunger strike
Hunger strike
A hunger strike is a method of non-violent resistance or pressure in which participants fast as an act of political protest, or to provoke feelings of guilt in others, usually with the objective to achieve a specific goal, such as a policy change. Most hunger strikers will take liquids but not...
campaign to free Mosavi from jail.
Mousiva Khoeini currently resides in Washington DC (source: http://www.nytimes.com/2010/03/19/world/middleeast/19iran.html).