Word: rajavi
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Dates: during 1980-1989
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...provided political asylum for four months to Ayatullah Ruhollah Khomeini and for years to some of his closest aides, two weeks ago gave haven to Raja'i's predecessor, the ousted Abolhassan Banisadr, and to one of the Iranian Islamic regime's most dangerous foes, Massoud Rajavi, head of the leftist guerrilla organization called the Mujahedin. Despite an agreement to refrain from political activity while in France, Banisadr has been issuing combative statements and preparing a government-in-exile...
...Iranian government has insisted that the French return Banisadr and Rajavi, a demand that the French, with their tradition of granting political asylum, will not accept. Last week Banisadr declared that he might go to Sweden or Austria to continue his anti-Khomeini campaign. Swedish officials quickly denied having any contact with the exiled politician. Sweden has nationals of its own in Iran...
Mujahedin Leader Rajavi protected Banisadr by shuffling him among four guerrilla "safe houses" while he was in hiding. The two men cemented their alliance during long talks in their hideaways. They saw their strengths as complementary: Banisadr offering legitimacy as an elected President with broad popularity; Rajavi supplying military firepower and a keenly disciplined organization...
Banisadr has named Rajavi as Prime Minister of his government in exile and authorized him to form a "national resistance council" that would serve as a government-in-waiting for the day when the mullahs may be swept from power...
Both men proclaim faith in an Iranian republic that will be Islamic and democratic. They hope to galvanize an anti-Khomeini crusade like the Ayatullah's final campaign against the Shah. "We can overthrow Khomeini within a few months," boasts Rajavi...