Daryoush Homayoun ( fa, داریوش همایون; 19282011) was an Iranian journalist, author, intellectual, and politician. He was the Minister of Information and Tourism in the cabinet of

Jamshid Amouzegar Jamshid Amouzegar ( fa, جمشید آموزگار‎; 25 June 1923 – 27 September 2016) was an Iranian economist and politician who was prime minister of Iran from 7 August 1977 to 27 August 1978 when he resigned. Prior to that, he served as ...

, founder of the daily newspaper '' Ayandegan'', and one-time high-ranking member of the

Rastakhiz ''Rastakhiz'' (Persian رستاخیز "resurrection") may refer to: * Rastakhiz F.C., an Iranian football team *Rastakhiz Party The Party of Resurrection of the Iranian Nation ( fa, حزب رستاخیز ملت ایران) or simply Rastakhiz ...

party. In exile he became one of the founders of the Constitutionalist Party of Iran. He was famous for his analytical writings and largely impartial assessment of history. His outspoken manner, criticizing the Islamic Republic with harsh tones, but also directing his criticism at the Pahlavi policies, earned him respect of many, while at the same time creating many enemies. He was one of the most influential Iranian opposition leaders in exile.

Youth

Homayoun was born in

Tehran Tehran (; fa, تهران ) is the largest city in Tehran Province and the capital of Iran. With a population of around 9 million in the city and around 16 million in the larger metropolitan area of Greater Tehran, Tehran is the most popul ...

on 27 September 1928 and began his involvement in the political sphere at the age of fourteen. In his younger years he was a member of several Iranian parties, generally with nationalist views opposing the rise of leftist ideas and the influence of the

Tudeh The Tudeh Party of Iran ( fa-at, حزب تودۀ ایران, Ḥezb-e Tūde-ye Īrān, lit=Party of the Masses of Iran) is an Iranian communist party. Formed in 1941, with Soleiman Mirza Eskandari as its head, it had considerable influence in i ...

party, such as

SUMKA The National Socialist Workers Party of Iran ( fa, حزب سوسیالیست ملی کارگران ایران, Ḥezb-e Sosīālīst-e Mellī-e Kārgarān-e Īrān; Hezbe Sosiâliste Mellie Kârgarâne Irân), better known by its abbreviation SUM ...

. He began as a supporter of Mohammad Mossadegh but was imprisoned during Mossadegh's premiership.

Journalistic and political career

In the years following 1953, Homayoun finished his university studies, obtaining a doctorate in political science from the

University of Tehran The University of Tehran (Tehran University or UT, fa, دانشگاه تهران) is the most prominent university located in Tehran, Iran. Based on its historical, socio-cultural, and political pedigree, as well as its research and teaching pro ...

. He worked at the Iranian daily

Ettelaat ''Ettela'at'' ( fa, اطلاعات, Ettelâ'ât, ) is a Persian language daily newspaper of record published in Iran. It is among the oldest publications in the country, and the oldest running Persian daily newspaper in the world. The paper has ...

and later founded the highly successful daily newspaper '' Ayandegan''. In the cabinet of

, he became the minister of information and tourism. Following the events leading up to the

Iranian Revolution The Iranian Revolution ( fa, انقلاب ایران, Enqelâb-e Irân, ), also known as the Islamic Revolution ( fa, انقلاب اسلامی, Enqelâb-e Eslâmī), was a series of events that culminated in the overthrow of the Pahlavi dynas ...

, he was arrested in the autumn of 1978, together with many other former officials whom the monarchy tried to use as scapegoats in order to prevent its own eventual downfall. He escaped prison on 12 February 1979, just after the revolution, and went into hiding. Fifteen months later, he left Iran through the border with Turkey and went to

Paris Paris () is the capital and most populous city of France, with an estimated population of 2,165,423 residents in 2019 in an area of more than 105 km² (41 sq mi), making it the 30th most densely populated city in the world in 2020. S ...

Exile

In exile, Homayoun, was an influential political analyst, writer, and opposition leader. In the nineties he initiated and helped create the Constitutionalist Party of Iran, a political party seeking to establish a

liberal democratic Liberal democracy is the combination of a liberal political ideology that operates under an indirect democratic form of government. It is characterized by elections between multiple distinct political parties, a separation of powers into di ...

Iran.

Death

Daryoush Homayoun died on 28 January 2011 in

Geneva Geneva ( ; french: Genève ) frp, Genèva ; german: link=no, Genf ; it, Ginevra ; rm, Genevra is the List of cities in Switzerland, second-most populous city in Switzerland (after Zürich) and the most populous city of Romandy, the French-speaki ...

Switzerland ). Swiss law does not designate a ''capital'' as such, but the federal parliament and government are installed in Bern, while other federal institutions, such as the federal courts, are in other cities (Bellinzona, Lausanne, Luzern, Neuchâtel ...

at the age of 82.

External links

Official Website

{{DEFAULTSORT:Homayoun, Daryoush Government ministers of Iran Iranian monarchists 1928 births Constitutionalist Party of Iran politicians Rastakhiz Party politicians University of Tehran alumni 2011 deaths Iranian emigrants to Switzerland Exiles of the Iranian Revolution in Switzerland Iranian emigrants to France Exiles of the Iranian Revolution in France Pan-Iranist Party politicians Iran Novin Party politicians National Front (Iran) people Nation Party of Iran politicians SUMKA politicians Iranian nationalists 20th-century Iranian politicians 20th-century newspaper founders Iranian newspaper publishers (people)