Abdul Rahman Haji Ahmadi
Abdul Rahman Haji Ahmadi, commonly known as just Haji Ahmadi, is an Iranian Kurdish leader. He leads a group called the Kurdistan Free Life Party (PJAK), a group fighting against the Iranian government for the creation of an autonomous Kurdish region inside Iran. He currently living in-exile with German citizenship in Cologne, Germany, from where he allegedly leads the organisation. The PJAK is designated as a terrorist organisation by the United States,[1] Iran and Turkey while Russia, UN, EU and many other countries refuted to design it as a terrorist organization.[2]
Abdul Rahman Haji Ahmadi | |
|---|---|
| Nickname(s) | Haji Ahmadi |
| Born | 1941 Iran |
| Allegiance | Kurdistan Free Life Party (PJAK), Kurdistan Communities Union (KCK) |
| Years of service | 2004–2011 |
| Rank | Commander-in-chief |
| Battles/wars | Iran–PJAK conflict Kurdish–Turkish conflict |
In summer 2007, he visited Washington, although according to the United States government he did not meet with any officials.[3]
In March 2010, Haji Ahmadi was arrested at his residence in Germany by German authorities, but was released shortly afterwards. The German government gave no details regarding why he was arrested or released.[4] Before his release, the Iranian government had asked Germany to extradite Haji Ahmadi to Iran. However, Germany refused this request on the grounds that Haji Ahmadi is a German citizen.[4] In response, Iran's Foreign Ministry spokesman Ramin Mehmanparast told a news conference in Tehran that the decision to free Haji Ahmadi amounted to "practically supporting terrorism", and that "Europe has become a haven for terrorists."[4]