Resting in Paris

Photo essay: Iranians in French capital's graveyards

by Jahanshah Javid
01-Aug-2009
 

I met up with Reza and Coryn Bayegan at Montparnasse cemetery [photos start here] the center of Paris. That's where Shapour Bakhtiar and several other prominent Iranians are buried, including Ali Amini. I was so focused on taking pictures that -- as usual -- was not aware of where I was. After taking a few pictures of Bakhtiar's grave, I walked away and then turned around. I went back and thought about how different Iran would have been if Bakhtiar had held on as prime minister. He was our last democratic head of government. He was not democratically elected, but he believed in a secular democracy. I wonder what he would have reacted to the current movement in Iran. Later we visited the much larger Père Lachaise, east of Paris [photos start here], visiting the gravesites of Sadegh Hedayat, Jim Morrison, Oscar Wilde and many others. Thanks Reza and Coryn for this memorable day.

Iranian graves: Shapour Bakhtiar, Abdorrahman Boroumand, Ali Amini, Vahid Hoveyda, Guy Bakhtiar, Houshang Tehranian, Tadjmolouk Afshari, Houshang Vaziri, Hossein Gholi Kyani, Gholam Hossein Sa'edi, Sadegh Hedayat, Parsi Zoroastrians, Tata Parsi family, ...

Non-Iranian: Jean-Paul Sartre & Simon de Beauvoir, Serge Gainsbourg, Jim Morrison, Alain Bashung, Marcel Proust, Oscar Wilde, Maria Callas, Holocaust victims, Henri Salvador, Edith Piaf,...

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Ali P.

Shahpour Bakhtiar...

by Ali P. on

 

Hooshang Vaziri once wrote, following Bakhtiar's murder," From the events of, and since,  the Islamic Revolution,have we seen  anyone emerging that could match Bakhtiar's caliber?" 

To me, that answer was 'no' back then.

 Sadly , eighteen years after his death, the answer is still 'no' .

 

...lived like a patriot,

died like a patriot.

 

Thanks for the links DK!

Ali P.


default

Familial

by Neda Ansari Ghopeh on

Thanks to Jahanshah and everyone who provided valuable information, especially Mr. Kadivar.

//www.youtube.com/watch?v=bEUE-wMQBv8

Disclaimer:  Avatar

Neda


A n o n y m o u s

Thanks JJ jan! But, you forgot...

by A n o n y m o u s on

Dr. Ghassemlou who is resting in Père Lachaise Cemetery.


Quebeqi

Thanks for the info!

by Quebeqi on

I guess my memory on the Paris Match article was not quite accurate. Thanks a lot for reestablishing the facts.

But what about this guy, Gordji? Did he has any links with the Affaire Bakhtiar? Since this event happened almost thirty years ago, I may have confused some elements of two differents stories.


Darius Kadivar

FYI/Who Killed Dr. Shahpour Bakhtiar ? by Sohrab Akhavan (audio)

by Darius Kadivar on

1) An Audio Document by filmmaker/documentary producer Sohrab Akhavan from July 2006:

LISTEN HERE: 

//filmexmedia.com/sugar_073006.html

2) The Assassins and their Culprits: 

//www.shapourbakhtiar.com/article-tale-deadly-iranian.htm

Names of the Assassins and Culprits were revealed during a Trial in Paris in Absentia in the mid 1990's : Ali Vakili Rad,35 Mohammad Azadi, 34, believed to be an agent of Iran's intelligence service, and Farydoun Boyerahmadi, 41.

* Ali Vakili Rad, 35, suspected of being one of the killers and a VEVAK secret agent;

  * Massoud Hendi, 47, a grandnephew of the late Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini and former Paris correspondent for Iran's government-run radio and television service, who is accused of helping the killers obtain false documents to enter France;

  * Zeyal (Zia) Sarhadi, 28, a nephew of President Hashemi Rafsanjani and a member of the Iranian foreign service attached to Tehran's embassy in Switzerland. He is accused of aiding the killers' escape through Geneva.

 All three deny involvement in the alleged conspiracy.

France will try six others in absentia. They are:

  * Mohammad Azadi, 34, believed to be an agent of Iran's intelligence service, and Farydoun Boyerahmadi, 41. Both are accused with Vakili Rad of killing Bakhtiar.

  * Hossein Sheikhattar, 44, a top adviser to Iran's minister of telecommunications; Mesut Edipsoy, 34, an Iranian-born Turkish citizen; Gholam Shoorideh, 34, an Iranian businessman with interests in Southern California and Chicago; and Nasser Ghasmi, 44, also an Iranian businessman. All four are accused of conspiring to aid the assassins.

3) Also Testimony by a Former Recruited Assassin Fariborz Karimi  who refused to do the job and fled to America:

//www.shapourbakhtiar.com/article-recruiting-assasin.htm


Quebeqi

L'affaire Gordji

by Quebeqi on

I think the story that Bakhtiar's assassins were allowed to escape by the French authorities of the time is true. However, the French authorities were unable to do anything. I remember that Paris-Match published a story in which it was said that the killers were given the status of diplomats by the embassy of iran in Paris so they can evade arrest. There was even a picture showing a Mr. Gordji being escorted during the night by Iranian diplomats to the airport.

Moreover, in the same Paris-Match issue, there was a interview of a Mr. Hendi who was suspected of being the mastermind behind the serie of assassinations of Iranian opponents in Europe during the 1980's and early 1990's. A photograph was also added with the interview. One could see this "gentleman", Mr. Hendi, sitting in front of a TV showing a video. On this video,there was a very young Reza Pahlavi reading a text. A few time later, the FBI reported that there was a conspiracy to assassinate RP in Washington but the plotters were arrested before they could act.

To this day, L'affaire Gordji, I believe, is still unsolved.


Jaleho

JJ, we liked

by Jaleho on

Henri Poincare and Camille Saint-Saens the best. There was a letter written by some cute guy to Saint-Seans "rouh" I guess, very interesting :-)

Sartre and his wife's being double was nice too.


Souri

Damn it ! He is dead?

by Souri on

OMG!!

Orang jan, I didn't know Guy was dead !!

Actually I knew him with his Persian name and only heard his "Guy" name on the TV.

It is so sad to hear that news. Now, complot (conspiracy) my dear, this time I believe it!! We all (almost all) know the story behind the Bakhtiar assassination, and I won't be surprised to hear these two death are related.

It remind me of the movie " I comme Icare " with Yves Montand. You know? The story of JFK assasination's file.

Ah, politics! Damn it!!


Darius Kadivar

About Guy Bakhtiar

by Darius Kadivar on

He was indeed in charge of Bakhtiar's Security since he was a French Police Officer. His mother was French.

I believe his death from Heart Attack was truly of natural causes. It is said that he was very tormented because of what happened to his father partly due to his own neglect. However he was certainly not to blame for the assassins were members of the Bakhtiar party for nearly 10 years before putting into action their morbid plan to eliminate Bakhtiar in his home.

These death squads had earned the confidence of Bakhtiar and his entourage over the years so not to rise suspicion.

It was also said that the French Government was said to have allowed the assassins to run away. Only one was arrested of the Three and he was exchanged I believe for French Hostages in Lebanon.

Another of Bakhtiars children his daughter Viviane died a few years ago of a heart attack also:

//www.highbeam.com/doc/1P2-4069672.html


Orang Gholikhani

Guy Bakhtiar

by Orang Gholikhani on

JJ ,

I saw you has put a question mark for knowing if Guy Bakhtiar was Shahpoor Bakhtiar's son.

Actually he was his son. He was a commissaire (detective) of French's police and was in charge of his father's protection. He was absent the day his father had been assasinated and was unhappy of protection's mistakes and wanted find reponsabilities.

He died some years later, I don't know why. I'm not a fan of complot's stories but this is a mystry I still has doubts about it.

would both father & son rest in peace.

 

 


Orang Gholikhani

To Shirine Vazin for Farhad

by Orang Gholikhani on

Paris has several cimeteries. Unfortunately Farhad is burried in one of Paris's suberbe's Cimetery nammed Thiais. You have a picture here : //en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Farhad_Mehrad

//en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Thiais

If JJ is still here, I could drive him there.

Orang


fozolie

Thanks Darius for the

by fozolie on

Thanks Darius for the wonderful Nouri video.

 

Mr. Fozolie

 


Darius Kadivar

In Tribute: Mohammad Noori - Chehreye Mandegar 1385

by Darius Kadivar on

In Tribute the all these Great Men and Women:


Darius Kadivar

FYI/pictory: Bakhtiar visits Mossadegh's Sepulture (1979)

by Darius Kadivar on

God bless this Great Patriot who was Bakhtiar:

//iranian.com/main/blog/darius-kadivar/pictory-shahpour-bakhtiar-visits-mossadeghs-residence

Iran Harghuez Nakhahad Mord !


Organic NUTritionist

great pix

by Organic NUTritionist on

great pix, enjoyed them. mom specifically visited this cemetery for oscar wilde :)


Shirin Vazin

FARHAD???

by Shirin Vazin on

Did you miss his grave or did I miss it in the pictures?


shushtari

it's a disgrace!

by shushtari on

that the french have aided the mullahs since day one! they created the perfect nest for that POS khomeini in 78.....and then they allowed the akhoonds' assasins to come in and freely murder our brave soldiers in cold blood on their streets....

hell is packed with the mullahs....enjoy the bbq!

the ghost of gen oveissi will get his revenge soon! 


gol-dust

Isn't that shapour's change of heart & contact w/ US caused his

by gol-dust on

downfall?  I thought , when he broke w/his old circle of friends (national front) and collaborated more w/the US, wihout him wanting to, helped the IRI to gain power as a consequence. Correct me if I am wrong, since it has been 30 years.


rosie is roxy is roshan

Dusting off an old chestnut.. ps

by rosie is roxy is roshan on

just couldn't resist. too a propos (as they say en francais..)

exactly one year ago...and the clock strikes two three four five..

fardaa roshaan ast. 

enjoy france,

private zero.

//iranian.com/main/blog/rosie-t/graveyards-iran

___________

oh ps, here's the link to the video that was supposed to be in the blog, it got removed from youtube. khar posted it, it didn't specify the bahai and it 's really not supposed to, but...that's okay.

//www.youtube.com/watch?v=dhQKvqDEPUs