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Massoud Rajavi’s Marriages

Massoud and Maryam Rajavi on their wedding day

Rajavi married fellow MEK member Ashraf Rabiei in summer 1980. Rabiei was widow of another MEK member killed in 1976, Ali-Akbar Nabavi-Nuri, whom she married in 1975.

Ashraf Rabiei ; Massoud Rajavi's first wife

In February 1982, Iran’s Revolutionary Guard members attacked a hide out of Mujahedin Khalgh leaders. During the clashes Ashraf Rabiei the wife of the Paris-based MKO leader killed. The attack took place about six months after the Iranian PM’s office bombing by Mujahedin-e Khalq as well as several other terror activities such as bombing the headquarters of the Iran Islamic Republic Party (IRP).

Firouzeh Banisadr; Rajavi's seconf wife

Massoud Rajavi’s second wife was Abolhassan Banisadr’s daughter Firouzeh. Their marriage of state took place in October 1982 following their exile and the couple divorced in 1984.

Massoud and Maryam Rajavi on their wedding day

Rajavi married to Maryam Qajar Azodanlu (later known as Maryam Rajavi) in 1985, who was already married to one of his close associates Mehdi Abrishamchi and divorced her husband in order to marry Rajavi.

Ann Singleton in his book” Saddam’s Private army” refers to the Rajavi’s marriages:

” Only months after Ashraf was killed, Rajavi had married Abol Hassan Bani Sadr’s daughter, Firouzeh. She was a student at a university in Paris at the time. She had no political inclination as far as is known and was largely regarded as being used as a pawn by Rajavi in the manipulation of her father. Ironically, this marriage did not cause any controversy. Members saw it for what it was; a political tactic. Ordinary Iranians saw it as both a convenient and a normal marriage. Rajavi’s wife was dead, so why shouldn’t he marry again, albeit indecently quickly? Yet this marriage really was cynical and exploitative. The young Firouzeh was naïve and innocent and had no real choice in the matter. Not a very good basis for marriage to a man who later promoted himself as the defender of women’s rights in the Mojahedin. In fact it was the next marriage, between two highly ambitious and fully aware people, that caused the outrage and continues to do so. Why? Because Rajavi married his best friend’s’ wife. (The relationship started long before Abrishamchi was ordered to divorce.) Looking at the marriage from a traditional point of view from Iranian culture, it was dishonourable, a betrayal of his friend. It was wrong, if not scandalous.”

 

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