Ashraf Dehghani | |
|---|---|
 Ashraf Dehghani (c. 1970s) | |
| Born | 1949 (age 74–75) |
| Nationality | Iranian |
| Political party | Organization of Iranian People's Fedai Guerrillas (1971–1979) Iranian People's Fedai Guerrillas (1979–present) |
| Movement | Communism, feminism |
| Opponents |
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Ashraf Dehghani (Persian: اشرف دهقانی, born 1949) is an Iranian communist revolutionary, best known as the leader of the Iranian People's Fedai Guerrillas (IPFG). Exposed to progressive politics from an early age, along with her brother, Dehghani joined the Organization of Iranian People's Fedai Guerrillas (OIPFG), becoming the only woman on its central committee.
In 1971, not long after the OIPFG initiated its armed struggle against the Imperial State, Dehghani was arrested and imprisoned by the SAVAK. In prison, Dehghani was regularly subjected to torture and rape, which she later detailed in her memoirs. Time in prison strengthened her belief in historical materialism and developed her perspective on anti-authoritarianism and feminism. In 1973, she escaped prison and rejoined the OIPFG, becoming the leading figure in its ultra-left faction after the Iranian Revolution. While the majority of the OIPFG moved away from armed struggle and accepted the authority of the new Islamic Republic of Iran, Dehghani continued to advocate for guerrilla warfare against the new government. In 1979, together with a minority of OIPFG members, she split off and formed the Iranian People's Fedai Guerrillas (IPFG), which continued to fight against the government. After the suppression of the 1979 Kurdish rebellion in Iran, Dehghani and her faction fled the country to Europe, where she is presumed to be living clandestinely.