Amir Abbas Fakhravar, (Siavash) is an Iranian award winning writer, journalist and a political activist.

Fakhravar was born on July 6, 1975 in the capital city of Tehran. Fakhravar was a gifted student and started writing at the age of eight. He wrote his first book at the age of 12.

Fakhravar was arrested for the first time at the age of 17, when he was still in High School. He has been arrested for his writings and opposition to the Islamic regime of Iran 19 times. Fakhravar spent over five years in jail and suffered brutal physical and emotional torture.

 His treatments have been described as first known example of “white torture” in Iran by Amnesty International. His conditions were described by Amnesty International as: 

“His cell there had no windows, and was entirely colored creamy white, as were his clothes. At meal times, he was reportedly given white rice on white, disposable paper plates and if he needed to use the toilet, he had to put a white slip of paper under the door of the cell to alert guards, who reportedly had footwear designed to muffle any sound. He was forbidden to speak to anyone.”

Fakhravar also wrote for two major newspapers, “Khordad” and “Mosharekat” in Iran. Fakhravar exposed the wrong-doings of the government authorities against his fellow students, in his column, “Who knows better than the People.” In this column, Fakhravar wrote about the atrocities taking place on campus in the Tehran University.

Fakhravar moved to the United States in May 2006. He has been on a speaking tour in the US and in the Europe on the current political situation of Iran. Fakhravar has been featured in numerous articles and television interviews.

Fakhravar is a conservative that is often criticized by the leftist and the liberal media. Fakhravar loves America and admires Thomas Jefferson.

His father, Mohammad Bagher was an officer in the Iranian Air Force that passed away about 3 years ago in a car crash. Fakhravar said,

 “My father was my world. Upon my release from the notorious “Evin prison” I remember my father always waiting outside of the prison gates with a sandwich and a soda in his hands, sweating, anxious, but happy waiting for me with a smile. My father used to say, I still can see that you haven’t given up boy.”

Fakhravar is the author of three books, an honorary member of English PEN, PEN Canada, and International PEN. He is the president of “Iranian Enterprise Institute,” founder of the “Confederation of Iranian Students” and the leader of “Independent Student Movement.”

Fakhravar currently lives in Washington DC and hopes for a democratic Iran. He wishes to go back to Iran one day to write stories for young kids.