Reza Rasouli

Reza Rasouli (1892, Tabriz – 1984, Tehran) — politician, public figure, participant in the "21 Azar" movement. Minister of Trade and Economy during the Azerbaijan People's Government.

After the collapse of the Azerbaijan People's Government, he went into hiding in Tabriz for two years due to persecution. During this period, he wrote his memoirs. In 1948, he was arrested. After being released, he lived in Tehran.

Rza Rasuli was born in 1892 in Tabriz.^[1] After completing his education, he served in high-ranking positions at the Iranian Ministry of Internal Affairs.^[2] Over various years, he worked under this ministry in Tabriz, Isfahan, and Kermanshah.^[1] Later, he was appointed mayor of the city of Maragha. In 1942, he was invited to Tabriz and began working at the Tabriz municipality.^[1][3]

After the establishment of the Azerbaijan Democratic Party in 1945, Rza Rasuli became a member of the party's Central Inspection Commission.^[4] On November 20, 1945, the Azerbaijan People's Congress began its work at the Ark Theatre in Tabriz.^[5][6][7] Rza Rasuli also participated in the Congress as a delegate.^[8] On December 12, 1945, the National Government of Azerbaijan was established.^[9] Rza Rasuli was appointed Minister of Trade and Economy in the newly formed government.^{[10][11][12][13]}

On December 5, 1946, the Shah's troops advancing toward Miyaneh were halted by the fedai forces led by Ghulam Yahya.^[14][15] People from various regions of Azerbaijan appealed to the National Government to arm themselves and fight against the Shah's forces.^[16] Following this, under the leadership of Mir Jafar Pishevari, a Defense Committee was established.^[17][18] The first action of the committee was to declare martial law in Tabriz and to form volunteer units called "Babak."^[16][19][20] In the initial phase, these volunteer units had 600 members.^[18][21] After that, Pishevari once again appealed to the Soviet Union for military support.^[16][22] However, this request went unanswered.^[23]

On December 11, 1946, the Azerbaijan Provincial Assembly, in order to prevent bloodshed, issued a decision instructing the Qizilbash People’s Army and fedai forces not to resist the Shah’s troops and to withdraw from the battlefields.^[24][25][26] From that day on, before the Iranian army entered major cities, bandit groups led by landlords as well as plainclothes gendarmes began committing massacres in those cities.^[27][28] These groups were referred to by Tehran radio as “Iranian patriots.”^[28] Their main goal was to eliminate the Democrats and facilitate the entry of the Shah’s army into the cities.^[27][28] Tabriz and other cities of Azerbaijan were subjected to looting and massacres.^[27][29] The National Government of Azerbaijan collapsed.^{[30] [31]} On December 14, 1946, the Iranian army, supported by the United States and Great Britain, entered Tabriz.^[32][33] The massacres and looting continued thereafter.^[29][32] Thousands of people were arrested and exiled.^[34] During the massacres, members of the Azerbaijan Democratic Party, fedais, as well as well-known poets such as Ali Fitrat, Sadi Yuzbendi, Jafar Kashif, and Mohammadbaghir Niknam were killed.^[35][36][37]

Rza Rasuli also went into hiding in Tabriz for two years during this period to escape persecution. While in hiding, he began writing his memoirs.^[38] On November 28, 1948, with the guarantee of several acquaintances, he came to Tehran and surrendered to the military prosecutor’s office.^[39] After a series of trials, he was sentenced to five years in prison. In November 1949, he was pardoned and released.^[39]

He passed away in Tehran in 1984. He was buried in the Imamzadeh Abdollah Cemetery in the city of Rey, next to his father and son.^[39]

• Jahanshahlou, Nosrat-ollah (2001). We and Aliens. Tehran. ISBN 964-93390-9-4. History of Azerbaijan's Government from Nosrat-ollah Jahanshahlou{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: location missing publisher (link)*
• آذربايجان دموکرات فرقه سي Monthly magazine of Baharistan