Mousa Nasiroghli (Khiabani) (; 1947 – 8 February 1982) was an Iranian dissident political leader and senior member of the People's Mojahedin of Iran (MEK) and the commander of its armed wing from 1979 to 1982, when he was killed in action. Khiabani has been described as "

Massoud Rajavi Massoud Rajavi (, born 18 August 1948 – disappeared 13 March 2003) is an Iranian politician and revolutionary who became the leader of the People's Mojahedin Organization of Iran (MEK) in 1979. After leaving Iran in 1981, he resided in France ...

's right-hand man" and "second-in-command". According to

Ervand Abrahamian Ervand Abrahamian (; ; born 1940) is an Iranian-American historian of the Middle East. He is Distinguished Professor of History at Baruch College and the Graduate Center of the City University of New York. Early life Ervand Vahan Abrahamian wa ...

, along with Rajavi, Khiabani acted as the organization's post-1979 spokesman and was viewed as equal to Rajavi by the outsiders, despite the fact that MEK insiders knew Rajavi to be pre-eminent.

Life and career

Khiabani was born into a merchant family in

Tabriz Tabriz (; ) is a city in the Central District (Tabriz County), Central District of Tabriz County, in the East Azerbaijan province, East Azerbaijan province of northwestern Iran. It serves as capital of the province, the county, and the distric ...

in 1947, he frequently participated in the Moharram rituals. He studied

physics Physics is the scientific study of matter, its Elementary particle, fundamental constituents, its motion and behavior through space and time, and the related entities of energy and force. "Physical science is that department of knowledge whi ...

at the

University of Tehran The University of Tehran (UT) or Tehran University (, ) is a public collegiate university in Iran, and the oldest and most prominent Iranian university located in Tehran. Based on its historical, socio-cultural, and political pedigree, as well as ...

. Trained in guerilla warfare in Lebanon, he was sentenced to

life imprisonment Life imprisonment is any sentence (law), sentence of imprisonment under which the convicted individual is to remain incarcerated for the rest of their natural life (or until pardoned or commuted to a fixed term). Crimes that result in life impr ...

in 1972 for his activities with MEK, however he was released in 1979 following the

Iranian Revolution The Iranian Revolution (, ), also known as the 1979 Revolution, or the Islamic Revolution of 1979 (, ) was a series of events that culminated in the overthrow of the Pahlavi dynasty in 1979. The revolution led to the replacement of the Impe ...

. He ran for a seat in the 1979 constitutional and 1980 parliamentary elections from his hometown, however he was defeated. On 8 February 1982, the

Iranian Revolutionary Guard Corps The Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC), also known as the Iranian Revolutionary Guards, is a multi-service primary branch of the Iranian Armed Forces. It was officially established by Ruhollah Khomeini as a military branch in May 1979 i ...

(IRGC) raided Khiabani's

safe house A safe house (also spelled safehouse) is a dwelling place or building whose unassuming appearance makes it an inconspicuous location where one can hide out, take shelter, or conduct clandestine activities. Historical usage It may also refer to ...

in northern Tehran and after a three-hour shootout, Khiabani, his wife Azar Rezaei, and fellow MEK member Ashraf Rabiei were killed, among others.

References

1947 births 1982 deaths People's Mojahedin Organization of Iran members Politicians from Tabriz University of Tehran alumni Iranian expatriates in Lebanon Iranian prisoners sentenced to life imprisonment 20th-century Iranian politicians {{Iran-bio-stub People shot dead by law enforcement officers in Iran Prisoners sentenced to life imprisonment by Iran