Saeed Bashirtash

Saeid Bashirtash (born December 26, 1965, in Tehran) is an Iranian nationalist political activist, writer, surgeon, and dentist based in Brussels. He is the founder and leader of the 7 Aban Front, one of the prominent opposition groups against the Islamic Republic. He established this organization following a conference he organized and hosted on October 29–30, 2022, in Brussels, which brought together dozens of notable opposition political activists. The organization was officially named the 7 Aban Front a month later.
Bashirtash describes the 7 Aban Front as a home for all pro-democracy nationalists—from constitutional monarchists to republicans.

Saeid Bashirtash began his political activities against the Islamic Republic at a young age. At that time, the Nation of Iran Party (Hezb-e Mellat-e Iran) regarded reforms within the Islamic Republic as an illusion and called for the overthrow of the regime and the establishment of a secular democracy in Iran.
After joining the Nation of Iran Party in 1993, he was elected in 1996 as the head of its Youth Organization and began close cooperation with his comrades Parvaneh Eskandari and Dariush Forouhar (founder of the Nation of Iran Party). Following the chain murders of Iranian intellectuals and the assassination of Dariush and Parvaneh Forouhar, the Youth Organization of the Nation of Iran Party, under his leadership, organized a series of protests against the regime’s violation of the right to life and helped raise awareness against tyranny within Iranian society.

The Youth Organization, under Bashirtash’s leadership, played a significant role in the student movement and the uprising of July 1999 (18 Tir). itation neededAfterward, Bashirtash went into hiding for a time before secretly leaving the country for Turkey. During this time, his wife, Darya Safai, who had been imprisoned, was released on bail and fled to Turkey as well. From there, they both left for Belgium.

Since then, Bashirtash’s affiliation with the Nation of Iran Party ended, and until the founding of the 7 Aban Front, he continued his political activities independently and outside the framework of any specific political organization.

Early life

Saeed Bashirtsah was born in Tehran in 1965. After the Iranian revolution, when he turned 19, he moved to Belgium to pursue a degree in dentistry. After returning to Iran, he focused on his work as a political activist with the Youth Organization of the Party of the Iranian Nation, while allegedly he continued his dental practice, pro bono, in the poorer neighbourhoods of Iran.

Life in exile

After escaping to Belgium through Turkey, Bashirtash began working independently of the Party of the Iranian Nation to overthrow the Government of Iran. He wrote numerous articles for the opposition, and took to public speaking, most notably RoubeRou (Manoto), RadioFreeEurope/RadioLiberty, and Voice of America.
In addition to his political activism, Saeed also operates three dental clinics in Belgium with his wife Darya Safai.

According to De Morgen, an investigation into a possible scandal involving Bashirtash and his wife Darya Safai is on its way following a formal request by Belgium Secretary of State for Asylum Sammy Mahdi. However, the federal prosecutor's office (Belgium), declared it found no evidence of criminal offences.

Political views

Bashirtash claims the continuation of the current order of governance in Iran is a threat to Iran as a nation-state and the political stability of the region.

He states that a "progressive" revolution against the Government of Iran by the Iranian people, and building a secular democracy, will guarantee the separation of religion and state, as well as equal rights for all Iranian citizens.

Further reading

* ''Lopen tegen de wind (Running against the Wind)'' (October, 2015), a book by Darya Safai
* ''Ben ik betaald voor humanitaire visa? Ongelofelijk dat ik die vraag zelfs moet beantwoorden'' (March, 2021), an interview by Montasser AlDe'emeh and Sam Ooghe
Montasser AlDe'emeh, Sam Ooghe, ''Humo'', 23 maart 2021.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Bashirtash, Saeed
1965 births
Liberalism in Iran
Iranian emigrants to Belgium
Living people
Politicians from Brussels
Politicians from Tehran
Iranian dentists
Belgian dentists
Nation Party of Iran politicians