Mellat Iran (Persian حزب ملت ایران, properly transliterated Hezb-e Mellat-e Aeran, " Party of the Iranian Nation") is a pan-Iranist political party of Iran founded by Dariush Forouhar. Persian (فارسی = Fârsi . ... Pan-Iranism is an ideology that advocates solidarity and reunification of the peoples living in the Iranian plateau (Falaat-e Iran), including Azeris, Baluchis, Ironians (Ossetians), Kurds,Qizilbash,Hazara and Tajiks. ... Dariush Forouhar (1928-1998) was the leader of the Hezb-e Mellat-e Iran (Nation of Iran Party), a pan-Iranist opposition party in Iran which he founded in 1951. ...

History

The group was founded by Dariush Forouhar in 1951, which he continued to lead up until his unsolved murder in 1998. Though sharing the same political foundation and similar ideologies, Mellat Iran differed greatly from the Pan-Iranist Party, which he had originally co-founded with Mohsen Pezeshkpour. Unlike the latter group, Mellat Iran was against the Shah and strongly supported the nationalist Prime Minister Mohammad Mossadegh. Mellat Iran also operated from a grass roots foundation, and was active during and immediately after the Iranian Revolution. After the rise to power of Khomeini, Mellat Iran, the Pan-Iranist Party, and other nationalist groups such as the National Front and National Alliance were outlawed and their supporters ostracized and persecuted. Since Forouhar's assassination in Decemeber 1998, the party has been led by Khosrow Seif Dariush Forouhar (1928-1998) was the leader of the Hezb-e Mellat-e Iran (Nation of Iran Party), a pan-Iranist opposition party in Iran which he founded in 1951. ... 1951 (MCMLI) was a common year starting on Monday; see its calendar. ... 1998(MCMXCVIII) is a common year starting on Thursday of the Gregorian calendar, and was designated the International Year of the Ocean. ... The Pan-Iranist Party of Iran (Hezb-e Pan-Iranist) is a pan-Iranist political opposition party. ... Mohammad Reza Shah Pahlavi Mohammad Reza Shah Pahlavi (in Persian: محمدرضا شاه پهلوی) (October 26, 1919 – July 27, 1980), Styled His Imperial Majesty, Shahanshah Aryamehr (Light of the Aryans), was the last reigning Shah of Iran to date, ruling from 1941 until 1979. ... Nationalism is an ideology that creates and sustains a nation as a concept of a common identity for groups of humans. ... Mohammed Mossadegh (Persian: محمد مصدق‎) (May 19, 1882 - March 4, 1967) was prime minister of Iran from 1951 to 1953. ... Grassroots democracy is the political processes which are driven by groups of ordinary citizens, as opposed to larger organisations or wealthy individuals with concentrated vested interests in particular policies. ... Protestors take to the street in support of Ayatollah Khomeini. ... Ayatollah Khomeini founded the first modern Islamic republic Ayatollah Seyyed Ruhollah Khomeini (آیت‌الله روح‌الله خمینی in Persian) (May 17, 1900 – June 3, 1989) was an Iranian Shia cleric and the political and spiritual leader of the 1979 revolution that overthrew Mohammad Reza Pahlavi, the then Shah of Iran. ... The National Front of Iran (Jebhe Melli) is a political opposition party founded by Mohammad Mossadegh and other Iranian nationalist leaders in the late 1940s. ...

Current legal status

The party is officially banned by the Iranian government, but tolerated. The former Foruhar residence has been a focal point for party members since his death, and is kept under surveillance. Persons attending meetings there are sometimes arrested and taken in for questioning. In 2003, Amnesty International issued a memo expressing that organization's concern for three men who "...reportedly were tortured while being held incommunicado." 2003 (MMIII) is a common year starting on Wednesday of the Gregorian calendar. ... Amnesty International (commonly known as Amnesty or AI) is an international non-governmental organization with the stated purpose of promoting all the human rights enshrined in the Universal Declaration of Human Rights and other international standards. ...

External links

• Interview with party leader Khosrow Seif
• Amnesty Memo
• Official Site (in Persian)