Iranian politician Anvar Khamei dies at 102

By Ahmet Dursun and Mustafa Melih Ahishali

ANKARA (AA) - Anvar Khamei, the last surviving co-founder of Iran’s communist Tudeh Party, died Wednesday in the city of Karaj, according to the Islamic Republic News Agency (IRNA).

A politician, sociologist and writer, Khamei was the last surviving member of the “53” communist group that founded the party in 1941.

During the rule of Iranian Shah Mohammad Reza Pahlavi, Khamei was arrested in 1937 for his communistic activities before being released four years later.

In 1947, Khamei opposed the Tudeh Central Committee's policies and quit the party, along with a number of other members.

He then threw his support behind other leftist movements that were not aligned with the Soviet Union.

He was arrested again in 1953 after Iran's coup d’etat and remained in prison briefly before leaving the country for Germany to continue his education.

Khamei worked for the UN in Africa for many years, returning to Iran after the 1979 revolution where he worked as a writer and translator.