The very same Amnesty International that helped Manucher was now victimized by my former hero. At the by now infamous February 22 Amnesty International event in Beverly Hills, Manuchehr Mohammadi led a mob of monarchists and mujahedin-e khalq thugs to disrupt the Amnesty event because they didn’t agree with one of the speakers on that panel, Trita Parsi.

Their behavior was a complete embarrassment. For all Iranians.  Manuchehr was egging the audience on, screaming and shouting. You can even see him briefly on the youtube video of the event. 

For a moment, I couldn’t believe my eyes. Was this the same person fighting the Islamic Republic, or was he a person fighting LIKE and perhaps WITH the Islamic Republic?

Whether Manuchehr at some point was an opponent of the regime or not, by now it is clear: Today, he is defeated by the Islamic Republic.  Because he has turned into the Islamic Republic.

He wasn’t strong enough to become a Nelson Mandela – a prisoner who overcame the abuse and realized that worst thing he could do was to echo the behavior and language of his abusers. Manuchehr Mohammdi erased the hard line between abused and the abuser.

I don’t regret the check I sent Amnesty or the support I gave him years ago. His human rights were violated by the akhonds and he like all others deserved help. No human rights violation is ever justified. 

But I am disappointed… no scratch that… I am ashamed that he is using his freedom in Los Angeles to behave just like his abusers behaved in Evin.