Amir Abbas Fakhravar, a prominent political dissident, is a leader of Iran's underground opposition. A former medical student, law student, journalist, and writer, Fakhravar was sentenced to eight years' imprisonment on defamation charges in November 2002 because of comments about Iran's political leaders in his book, Inja Chah Nist (This Place is Not a Ditch).
After three years of imprisonment that included torture, Fakhravar was able to escape while on a two day temporary leave to take his law degree exams. He became a fugitive, fled from Iran in April 2006 and arrived in the U.S. in May, where he has spoken out on the plight of the Iranian people.
Bio
Amir Abbas Fakhravar
Amir Abbas Fakhravar is an Iranian writer, journalist and former law student known for his political activism.
He is a well known dissident of the Iranian government. His novel Inja chah nist was short listed for the Paulo Coelho prize for literature in 2003. Amir Abbas is also an honorary member of the English and the international PEN Organization
John Hilboldt
John Hilboldt oversees Heritage's Lectures and Seminars Program which annually hosts over 100 public programs at the Foundation's headquarters.
Before becoming Director of Lectures and Seminars, he served for four years as Deputy Director of Coalition Relations, editing two issues of the Policy Experts guide and its accompanying policyexperts.org web directory as well as coordinating other outreach endeavors.
Additionally, he is a member of the Advisory Council of the Young Britons' Foundation of London.
James Phillips
Research Fellow for Middle Eastern Affairs, The Kathryn and Shelby Cullom Davis Institute for International Studies
James Phillips is a veteran foreign policy specialist who has written extensively on Middle Eastern affairs and international terrorism since 1978. He is a former Research Fellow at the Congressional Research Service of the Library of Congress and a former Joint Doctoral Research Fellow at the East-West Center.