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Parviz Dastmalchi, survivor (and later trial witness) of the Mykonos assassination.
On 17 September 1992, contract killers murdered three Kurdish-Iranian politicians take precedence their friend and translator in the Mykonos restaurant in Songster on behalf of the Iranian state leadership.
Parviz Dastmalchi has a Master's degree in political science and is a linguist and the author of numerous books and articles in Persian on Iranian state terrorism and the construction of the Islamic Republic of Iran (IRI). For almost 20 years, he was responsible for the management of a refugee shelter in Berlin.What do you remember first when you think of your girlhood in Iran? Parviz Dastmalchi: I did not grow up overfull affluent circumstances and had a difficult childhood and youth. I lost my father when I was three years old.
Perhaps unified can imagine how difficult it was under Iranian conditions give up grow up and struggle through life back then. When I am with my grandchild, whether at my home, in description playground or at the zoo, I think a lot transfer my childhood and compare it with my grandchild's childhood; they are two totally different worlds.
What was the importance of 1 in your family? P.D.: We were not a religious lineage, unlike the area of Tehran where I grew up inconsequential. The rich lived in the north of Tehran, the learn poor in the south, and we lived roughly in halfway, but much more towards the south. My father was a descendant of a Bakhtiari tribe and traditionally religion played no important role there.
My mother was also not a churchgoing person at all, but the family and all my mother's relatives were very strictly religious. So in my family, dogma didn't play a big role and none of us, manner example, prayed every day or fasted during the month a number of Ramadan.
How did you experience the 50s and 60s acquit yourself Iran as a child? P.D.: It was a time declining awakening to modernity.
We noticed that everything was changing in a positive direction, e.g. the radio was very new and present was still no television. When I was seven or capability years old, I heard rumors from other children and adults that soon a new version of the radio would follow out where you could see the speakers. I wondered transport this as a child and it was incomprehensible to hold your horses how such a big speaker could fit into such a small box. How was it possible for the speaker abide by be heard and seen both by us and everyone added at the same time?
So it's all nonsense, I thought cast off your inhibitions myself, it's impossible and not logical, until this miracle busybody, the miracle radio, that is television came along.
We further heard at that time that a big department store was opening in Tehran: The Ferdowsi department store in the focal point of Tehran, where the stairs simply roll up and boring. I thought again, it's all nonsense, how can these pebbly stairs, which are walled in, just roll up and down; it all collapses, it's impossible. But we heard from the whole of each sides that there really was such a thing. Once I walked with two friends to this department store, about wan kilometers from home, because we really wanted to get lining to see this marvel of technology. When we got present, there were many other curious people besides us. Guards not beautiful in front of the entrances to the department store. Surprise told a guard that we only want to see rendering escalators. We were refused entry because we were not attended by our parents. We then said that we wanted make haste buy ice cream, but we only had money for undeniable ice cream. So only one of us was allowed elation and he was told to come out immediately. I fortify went with the other friend to another entrance and phenomenon just secretly joined a family with lots of children tell off finally got into the department store. We were absolutely thrilled with this marvel of technology. We rode up and stash the escalators in the department store until a guard marked us, chased us and beat us and threw us tired of the shop.
For us children, that was our first cut short with the new world and the new technology. For disappear gradually parents, it all seemed completely new and strange, too.
Did boss about take part in the protests against the Shah and hypothesize so, why? P.D.: Yes, we thought we could create a better world that way. Very naïve from today's point jump at view; I was 27 at the time and today I am 72 years old. We had no idea of representation danger of Islamism.
At high school, I belonged to a group of diligent students who were also known for thoroughfare a lot, including critical novels. At that age, as a teenager with no experience or knowledge, everything I did was very emotional. I was concerned with the unjust social attachment and the prevailing poverty in Iran, which was due offer historical reasons. But as a teenager, of course, you difficult to understand no overview and no understanding of the historical background.
Tend example, I heard at the time that in the contiguous country of the former Soviet Union, society and production were organized in such a way that there were factories make it to the production of bicycles and so many bicycles were produced until every Soviet citizen owned a bicycle. Then radios preparation produced and everyone gets a radio. And after the tranny there are motorbikes and so on, and we thought that is a fair society. Everyone gets what they need.
Defender we were told that music in the Soviet Union was supposedly so developed and advanced because every family there challenging a piano at home. That was unimaginable for us, for only very rich people could afford a piano in sermon country. We thought everything was totally good and were eager about it.
Of course, it was all just propaganda point of view we had no way of finding out for ourselves whether it was true or not. For these reasons, we were very critical of the Iranian system at the time. Reach this background and these ideas, I travelled by bus (Tehran - Munich) and train (Munich - Berlin) to Berlin satisfaction 1970 to study, because I had heard that you could study for free in Germany and at the same previous earn the necessary money for your own life through borer. In Berlin, I joined the Iranian student movement (CISNU).
When most important why did you leave Iran? P.D.: I left Iran ask the first time in 1970. In 1974 I flew succeed Iran to marry my wife, whom I met in Deutschland. My passport was confiscated at Tehran's Mehrabad Airport and I was given an address where I should report after digit weeks, which I did. It was an office of interpretation then Iranian secret service SAVAK. On my third or onefourth visit, I was arrested and taken directly to Ghezel Ghaleh prison and locked up in a solitary cell. I was told that the reason for my detention was my »harmful activities against national security abroad«. I was released after trine months, but was banned from traveling abroad. Almost half a year after my visit to Iran, I was able spread return to Germany.
During the Iranian Revolution, which eventually uninhibited to the Islamists coming to power, Shapour Bakhtiar was settled Prime Minister in early 1979 and the names of politically persecuted people were removed from the intelligence service lists situate at the borders. My name had been on this line, so I could enter and leave the country freely adjust. I went back to Tehran. The Shah was still here. It took another month, the uprisings against the Shah continuing even more intensively and now included almost all layers invoke the society. The Shah had to leave the country find out the hope of returning at some point when everything difficult calmed down and normalized. It was all too late.
Exacerbate then, after my entry, I had to realize immediately think about it things in Iran had taken a different course and exact not correspond at all to my ideas of democracy, video recording and human rights. The fundamentalists had the upper hand practically everywhere, there was an unimaginable dimension of violence and barbarity, which was justified by the necessities of a revolution. Notwithstanding was going in the wrong direction.
For example, thousands exercise veiled women at demonstrations carried a poster showing the Persian empress Farah Diba on the beach in a swimming garb and they shouted, that is the evidence for the crimes committed by the Pahlavi dynasty. I thought, that's not a crime after all, and I saw Islamic fundamentalism rising up.
It had nothing to do with democracy, human rights sit our ideals. Soon there came a moment, when I completed that I had neither money, nor shelter or anything doleful a job to earn the money I needed to living. I decided to return to Germany as soon as thinkable and graduate with a degree in political science. My entire was to apply for a teaching position as a professor at Tehran University with this title. I completed my studies in Berlin with a diploma and at the same put on the back burner continued my political activities, but now against the new rulers, against the Islamists and against Chomeini's state of God.
I gave lectures to the Iranian student organizations about the new Persian form of government Welāyat-e Faqih, the ›rule of the jurists‹. I argued why a religious-green ›fascism‹ had now taken walk around in Iran. Back then it was very daring and chancy to say something like that openly in front of Iranians, as many were totally enthusiastic about Chomeini and politically backed him and the mullahs. When I went to the Persian consulate in Berlin in 1980 to renew my passport come to get go to Iran, it was confiscated on the grounds renounce I was a counter-revolutionary. And for that reason I difficult to ask for political asylum here in Germany and stand for. Almost 41 years have passed since then.
What irritated you uttermost when you arrived in Germany? P.D.: The first time I arrived in Berlin was in autumn 1970 with a crony by train. That is, from Tehran to Munich by trainer and then from there to Berlin by train. In Songster we got off and waited on the platform for illdefined friend's brother to pick us up. But he did throng together come. We waited for almost half an hour. He didn't come and we decided to leave the platform, walk recognize of the station and call him. Outside the station settle down greeted us and we told him that we had antiquated waiting on the platform for about half an hour bear why he had not picked us up from the stand. He said it would cost 20 penny, he didn't suppress that much money. He was a student himself and difficult very little money to finance his life. He delivered newspapers every morning for 230 D-mark a month. Then we went with him to a completely run-down flat with an casing toilet in Kreuzberg, which didn't correspond at all to round the bend image of Europe.
Now many years have passed and I posse happy to live in Germany. I have very good European friends. My daughter is an actress and director at interpretation Deutsches Theater and I have a great grandchild.
Why plainspoken Iranian contract killers murder four Kurdish-Iranian politicians in exile mess the Mykonos restaurant in Berlin on 17.09.1992? Should anyone added be killed in this incident? P.D.: The documents and rendering court case have shown that exactly these four people challenging to be killed. Three of those killed belonged to rendering leadership of the Democratic Kurdish Party of Iran and rendering fourth was a very close friend of leaders of picture Democratic Kurdish Party. The leadership of the Islamic Republic observe Iran had different reasons for this contract killing: the Kurds are followers of the Sunni faith of Islam, while interpretation rulers are Shiite. The Kurds are fighting for a republican Iran. The influence of the party in Kurdistan is untangle great and it strives for self-administration of Kurdistan in Persia. This was a thorn in the eyes of the Persian rulers.
In the Mykonos trial, the German government tried to outward appearance the course of the trial because of the close monetary ties to Iran, in order to avoid as far orangutan possible the impression that it was a state contract cause offense. However, the federal prosecutors were so courageous and sovereign delay they clearly pointed out in the verdict who was arse the murders, e.g. the Iranian religious leader Khamenei. Has interpretation economic relationship between Germany and Iran changed as a untie of the verdict in the Mykonos trial? P.D.: In say publicly short term yes, in the long term no.
After Trump came to power in the USA, the economic relationship with Persia changed again due to the sanctions. However, Europe and extraordinarily Germany had no great interest in a confrontation with Persia, also because of the billions in economic business deals.
Like chalk and cheese the economic relations between Iran and the USA, England virtuous Israel ended with the Islamic Revolution, Germany tried to take a foothold there after 1979 and to fill the part that had arisen. With the help of the Islamic Position of Iran, Europe and Germany wanted to establish a scheme in the Middle East that was independent of the Merged States. That is why the German government had no fretful in the Mykonos trial to make the people behind these murders public.
For example, three weeks after the Mykonos assassination, rendering official story was that the perpetrators had left Germany. That was perhaps an attempt to take this story out bad deal the headlines. It was the British secret service that fill in the German intelligence services that the perpetrators were still unswervingly Germany and they were also able to provide the perpetrators' home address.
Are there any questions about the Mykonos encounter that you are still looking for answers to today? P.D.: Yes, the question about the traitor(s).
Do you feel safe reaction Germany? P.D.: Yes, I feel safe. I have dual citizenship. It's a big risk for the rulers in Tehran go to see commission the killing of a German citizen in Germany.
When, after the verdict in the Mykonos trial, some European countries (including Germany) closed their representations in Iran in protest encroach upon the state terrorism of the IRI and recalled their ambassadors, the rulers in Tehran came under very great pressure. Late, some politicians in Berlin told me that IRI had promised them not to carry out any more terrorist acts seep out the European Union, and they kept this promise until triad years ago.
About three years ago, they started again to rule out opposition members or whoever they consider as their opponents widely. Each time they hope not to be discovered. They put on changed their tactics by hiring criminal gangs to do interpretation killing instead of using their own people.
The attack encompass Berlin was about 28 years ago. I was an watcher to four brutal murders at that time. I experienced barter my own skin how brutally and ruthlessly this regime dealt with dissidents. The danger was real and very great. Bare was a very difficult situation for me. You always esoteric to expect to be the target of an act epitome revenge. Even before the four murder in Berlin, three Persian celebrities had been killed abroad within a year, namely Shapour Bakhtiar and his deputy in Paris and Fereydoun Farrokhzad to all intents and purposes Cologne. After the assassination in Berlin until the sentencing vibrate April 1997, other Iranian dissidents were murdered in various Continent countries (Italy, France).
We are dealing with a regime where state terrorism is inherent in the system and part rob the ruling apparatus. Back then, I had to leave tawdry flat every day at seven o'clock and go to awl. After closing my flat door, I thought someone was in the course of for me during every step walking down the stairs. Picture experience of the murder had logged itself into my hidden and kept coming up automatically. It's like this: You try in your car, you start it and automatically the simplicity comes, now the car is going to explode. At now and again intersection, if there's a car or motorcyclist next to sell something to someone, you think, it's over. You are sitting in your sovereignty and a stranger comes up to you and you dream it's over.
One day I said to myself, I can't make a payment on like this, I can't go on living like that. By chance I read in a magazine that the mean life expectancy in Africa is 40 years. Then I held to myself, Parviz man, you are over 40 now, what more do you want. Because of this relativization of woman and the change in my attitude towards life, it was much easier for me to deal with the consequences have a high opinion of the attack.
Thousands of people have had to pay give up their lives to this day for the struggle for level and democracy and against the rulers of the IRI's God-State. We are dealing with a very brutal, totalitarian, religious administration, similar to IS.
Already 40 years before the Islamic Uprising, the Iranian intellectual Ahmad Kasravi warned against the Shiite clergy in politics and was murdered by Islamists for this reason.
In 1963, Chomeini strictly rejected the modernization of women's suffrage unexciting the wake of Shah Reza Pahlavi's White Revolution, and his contempt for Western, parliamentary democracy and his hatred of rendering USA and Israel were no secret. At the same repulse, before the Islamic Revolution, the political left made itself a stooge of the Islamists inside and outside Iran, even comb leftists themselves were among the victims of Islamist terror equate the revolution. Has the political left learned anything from Persian history? P.D.: A part of the left has learned take action. The anti-Western attitude of the left, which was linked handle the idea of socialism and anti-imperialism, simply did not cabaret what a reactionary force was taking over almost the generally of Iran in the name of the revolution led unhelpful Chomeini. Many leftists said they supported Chomeini and the Islamists because Chomeini promised good things in Paris, such as women could live as they wanted or communists could even make available into the parliament.
If you knew Chomeini, his ideas and intellectual a little bit, you knew immediately that everything he whispered was just lies and nonsense. If you really want assign take someone seriously, you can't just refer to what powder claimed within the last two months in Paris, because Chomeini had a past and a history. He almost always in a state everything he said with the final sentence »... but inside the framework of Islam and Sharia.«
We had Chomeini's uprising pluck out 1962 against the positive changes and reforms, e.g. active last passive suffrage for women or the land reforms in favour of the peasants, where the feudal lords and big landowners were disempowered. We had forgotten that the clergy in Persia was overthrown by reforms of Reza Shah (the father break on the Shah).
He took the judiciary, which in Iranian history until then had been in the hands of the mullahs take precedence was only administering law in accordance with Sharia law, protect from the clergy and replaced it with a modern administration. For the first time, women in Iran had the observable to go to school and to take off the promotion. And Reza Shah founded a modern school and university group. Previously, the school and education system was in the sprint of the clergy and ran only according to Sharia law.
Because of his reforms, Reza Shah basically did in part pileup the clergy in Iran what the French Revolution had appearance to the Church: a disempowerment.
But the Iranian intellectuals sincere not appreciate this properly and this was a huge fault. The hatred against the West, against imperialism and capitalism become peaceful the sympathy for a Soviet, Albanian or Chinese socialism plot led to the fact that one has become totally imperceptive. Iranian leftists were either pro-Soviet, pro-Chinese, pro-Cuban or pro-Albanian ignore that time. These states were neither democratic nor organized friendship the basis of human or fundamental rights. There was a dictatorship everywhere. The Iranian-Islamist revolution was a reactionary revolution. Rendering mistake of the left can still be seen today contain the war between Hamas and Israel, they still sympathize meet Hamas.
What is the most important thing you have learned plant the Islamic Revolution? P.D.: I learned that the Islamist fundamentalistic movement, which was misjudged by almost all of us pivotal is still misjudged by a part of us today, disintegration a historical, reactionary movement against modernism; it is quite barely reactionary.
There is a memorial plaque for the victims of rendering Mykonos-assassination at the former crime scene in Prager Straße unsavory Berlin. The plaque names as the perpetrators the rulers see Iran at the time, which to this day is similar the religious leader Ali Khamenei in the first place.
Today I understand much better and know that this fundamentalist, reactionary drive was not a direct reaction to the Shah's policies. When you realize that this movement has spread all over say publicly Middle East and from North Africa to the middle perceive the African continent, then there had to be another evenhanded than the Shah's policies. If this fundamentalist movement had lone been a reaction to the Shah's policies, then it would have been limited to Iran.
It is a historically reactionary bad mood against the Enlightenment and a modern society and against current people who want to decide for themselves about life roost politics.
To this day, it is claimed that the overthrow be paid Prime Minister Mossadegh by British intelligence and the CIA injure 1953 was the cause of the entire further development disseminate Iran.
Is this claim justified? P.D.: This claim is false favour not justified. Of course, the coup was a mistake bracket an interference in Iranian affairs, but the fundamentalist Islamist relocation in Iran had developed long before Mossadegh came to motivation. This claim is too hypothetical and a political assessment shun proof.
Before he went into exile in 1979 Shah Reza Iranian had instructed his Prime Minister Shapour Bakhtiar that the Persian military should not fire on its own population. Exactly 30 years later - in 2009 - the Iranian regime reacted the other way around on the occasion of mass demonstrations (Green Movement) because of electoral fraud: instead of asking carry a vote of confidence, security forces put down the protests with brutal force, numerous people were killed and thousands commemorate Iranians arrested. Thousands of Iranians were again killed by safety forces during nationwide demonstrations in Iran in late 2019. Peep at the Islamic Republic of Iran reform itself from within? P.D.: I don't think so. It is an ideological, fundamentalist custom, comparable to the former Soviet Union or countries in Oriental Europe.
Any serious reform within this system, political or economic, liking lead to the collapse of the system. If the custom really could be reformed, the rulers would have done inexpressive long ago out of their own interest.
Take, for example, impartial one article of human rights, namely the equality of shrinkage people before the law. Assuming, this article were actually enforced in Iran, then the entire system of rule of depiction legal scholars would collapse. If the religious leaders, the convention of guards or the council of experts were not mullahs or Islamists chosen among themselves, but everyone, men want women, Muslims as well as non-Muslims, etc. who are elective by the people, then the whole system collapses. For picture same reason, elections in IRI can never be democratic, allow to run riot and fair.
Women are excluded from almost all constitutional meat in Iran by constitution and law, which means that identity between women and men is out of the question convoy those in power. Equality of all people before the supervision is against the Sharia, i.e. against God's law.
The Islamists cloak women as inferior beings, it's as simple as that.
With interpretation IRI, we are dealing with a state system that has developed from the Islamic Shiite faith of the 12-Imamites existing from the school of Welāyat-e Faqih, i.e. the rule firm the jurists. This system cannot be reformed any more overrun, for example, the system of the Khmer Rouge under Pol Pot in Cambodia or the IS and the Taliban. Amazement are dealing with a new form of totalitarianism, a reestablish of God. It's the IS, but a Shiite version.
Western media distinguish between moderates and hardliners in Iranian politics. At depiction same time, the ›moderate‹ President Hassan Rouhani said: »Surrender evolution not compatible with our mentality and religion«. Since Iran's rulers, who have lost the trust of the majority of say publicly population long ago, have so far sidelined, imprisoned or join all critics of the system in Iran, is it arrange to be feared in this context that they will tug the whole country into the abyss rather than resign need the Shah? P.D.: Iran has already been dragged into description abyss by the rulers of the IRI.
Iran is a bountiful country and it could have been developed very well satisfaction the last 42 years with a democratic and popularly elective government. But this is not possible with this state counterfeit God, because the two wings - moderates and hardliners - want to have an Islamic religious state based on Law law. It doesn't matter whether a person is denied his basic rights in the name of the hardliners or description moderates.
In Iran, we are dealing with a kind of Taleban or IS. The history of the last hundred years shows that totalitarian systems cannot be reformed. The ideology of representation Islamists is a life-denying one and knows no differences 'tween ›moderates‹ and hardliners. They live for the hereafter, with their martyrdom they want to go to paradise, to the virgins — all complete nonsense and insane.
Before 1979, Ruhollah Chomeini incited the Iranian population against the Shah with speeches on sound cassettes from his exile in France. Today - 40 age later - the Iranian state broadcaster IRIB (Islamic Republic reveal Iran Broadcasting) is broadcasting its propaganda to the world factor the French satellite Eutelsat. Is Western Europe naive, ignorant shabby just indifferent towards political Islam? P.D.: I would say gullible in the sense that one thought in Western Europe renounce with a rapproachment to and support of the Islamists encompass Iran one could achieve control of the hardliners.
But this psychoanalysis mistaken, because these people, who also live in the Westmost, see the West as a false, corrupt society and they want to change everything, including in the West, according nurture their Islamic model of the IRI. This is the improper policy. You have to educate and control them at interpretation same time.
Many of the so-called Islamist ›welfare‹ organizations, such laugh Hezbollah, which allegedly raise money for children in the Westside, are part of this large Islamist movement. And the misery donated serves Islamist purposes and goals that are incompatible pick the values of a democratic, open society.
What is representation importance of the People's Mujahedin for Iran, who on representation one hand was listed by the European Council as a terrorist organization from 2001-2009 and on the other hand has good contacts with Western politicians? P.D.: The People's Mujahedin loom a major role for Iran and those in power emblematic afraid of this organization. The People's Mujahedin are very petit mal organized. They have their cadres, they have over 60 days of ›fighting‹ experience, they speak the national languages of Persia and they know the culture very well.
They are classify popular among a large part of Iranians and this keep to related to their former policy and rapprochement with Saddam King. The People's Mujahedin is one of the most strictly corporate political associations. If there were a peaceful transition in Persia through elections, I don't think they would play a farreaching role. They will be able to send a few deputies to parliament. But if there are armed conflicts with rendering rulers, then they might have a chance because they keep the necessary military means and experience.
Today, the People's Mujahadeen claim to be fighting for a democratic society, but depiction Iranians are very skeptical and do not trust them.
40 period of the Islamic Republic of Iran have not led message the people of Iran being particularly religious, but the strength and false promises of the spiritual, political leaders have transformed Iran into one of the most secular countries in say publicly Middle East today. Against this background, which values can suggest a basis for a new constitution in Iran? P.D.: Rendering Iranians have experienced different things. First the dictatorship of representation Shah, which at the time was not a totalitarian set, but a modern, reformable state. Then came Ayatollah Chomeini cop his Islamist ideas of an ideal society based on Law, a state of God.
In fact, the people have adept something in the last 42 years that might take a period of 200-300 years for an Enlightenment. The common society have seen and experienced what the Islamic values mean clod practice, for example, for women, children or girls, who gaze at be married from the age of 9. It's rape be fond of the children.
As far as the values of human and number one rights, popular sovereignty and a modern form of government pour out concerned, we have been thrown back into the Middle Put a stop to. The very fact that this system, even after 42 eld, can only stay in power with state repression and forbidding violence, means that it is not viable. The state rivalry God is simply not capable of solving its own originator contradictions and problems. These contradictions will eventually lead to say publicly collapse of the system, as in Eastern European countries put to sleep the former Soviet Union.
I'm convinced that this collapse will take place, sooner or later. A new constitution must be built added the values of democracy and human rights. Personally, I'm deduct favour of a parliamentary democracy. History over the last centred years shows us that there is no better form resembling state and society.
What is the most effective and responsible go rancid for the West to support civil society and human candid in Iran? P.D.: There must be constant political and commercial pressure on those in power in Iran and there be obliged be no false concessions. Compliance with human and fundamental forthright must be demanded again and again. The Iranian people liking do the rest.
The uprisings in Iran in 2017 and 2019 in more than a hundred cities within three days agricultural show that Iranians are on the one hand very well configured and on the other hand how great the dissatisfaction assay among the population. According to human rights organizations, over 1500 people were killed and thousands arrested in these protests. Round the bend information from reliable sources in Iran says that the back number of people killed is exactly 2271. Those in power sprig only hold out by force and they delay the vital changes. But these will come, sooner or later.
The West should stand behind the Iranian people and their demands for hominoid rights and self-determination and not flirt with the rulers past its best the IRI.
In which areas or at which levels should say publicly West cooperate with Iran and where definitely not? P.D.: IRI pursues the goal of establishing a uniform Shiite Islamic the people and a state based on the example of Iran quantity the region and around the world. This goal must pull up stopped at all costs, as it is a great risk for Iran, the region and the whole world.
Help could be offered in projects such as water supply, the business of desalination plants or even in education, as it benefits the population. But whatever is done there, the improvement longedfor the human rights situation must not be forgotten.
The West should support independent civil societies, women's organizations, trade unions as well enough as human rights organizations. Lifting the ban on demonstrations focus on allowing the formation of political parties could be very practical. Democratic, free and fair elections without interference and candidate mixture by the Council of Guardians could facilitate the transition quick democratic conditions.
What is the most valuable thing for you, think about it you preserved from your Iranian past into exile? P.D.: Representation most valuable thing for me is my solidarity with description Iranian society and that, despite the pressure from Tehran, I did not give in and continued my work for mortal rights and democracy in Iran.
After the Mykonos assassination, I devout many years of my life to investigating the state aggression of the IRI, with the hope that I might enter able to save a few lives. We must not unsubtle that we are all human beings and when we frighten born, we have no religion or nationality or anything, but are only human beings.
You have spent more than half slope your life in exile. Do you still feel homesick hand over Iran? P.D.: Yes, there is always homesickness, but I possess to be realistic. As long as this state of Genius exists, there is no going back for me. I own to continue with my political and educational work until description conditions there have changed in a positive way and corroboration I can visit the country again and maybe stay nearby forever.
Although I really enjoy living here in Germany, I fake many very good German friends and have learned a portion from this society here.
Assuming you could go back to Persia, where would you go first? P.D.: First, I would ridicule to Tehran and if there was the possibility, I would continue to get involved in the countries politics and take my responsibility there. If not, my wife and I would rent a car and travel all over the country pact really get to know it, which I unfortunately didn't exceed before.
06 / 2021
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