Brigadier Ali Akbar Derakhshani

Taherh Shokuhi

 

Brigadier Ali Akbar Derakhshani was born in Tehran, 1895. His father, Alinaghi Khan Kangarlu was an officer of Cossack brigade and of migrant Caucasian families. He began his education from the old style schools and then entered the Hemmat School. He went to the military school specific for the children of military authorities. Later he entered gendarmerie’s officer’s college and became an officer. He was one of the founders of Iran’s new military formed during Ahmad Shah Qajar. He resigned from gendarmerie in 1918 and went to Guilan as a third lieutenant. In the uniform army, he received the rank of second colonel and became the commandant of Guilan forces. After a while he went to Azerbaijan and Lorestan in colonel’s rank. He was commandant of Mazandaran troops, Urumia troops and government of Kabireh and Poshtekuh. In 1939 he became the chief inspector of Reza Shah’s coast lands. Four years later he became the deputy of Tabriz troops. Shortly after he received the rank of brigadier in Azerbaijan division and became the commandant of the other military forces including the police and gendarmerie. Simultaneously he became the governor of western Azerbaijan. His term of commanding the division coincided with Azerbaijan crisis created by the Democratic Party and establishment of Soviet military forces in that region who meddled in all affairs of the province. In January 1965, the democrats laid siege to the 3rd garrison of Tabriz division and prevented the entrance of any provisions. Army headquarters had ordered the division to resist against the riot. However, brigadier Derakhshani saw no use in resistance and thought that in would end in the destruction of all forces. Eventually, Azerbaijan division submitted to Azerbaijan Democratic Party and brigadier Derakhshani issued an announcement and delivered it to Pishevari. The announcement implied that in order to prevent bloodshed, plunder and murder of people, he had ordered for submission.

 

Brigadier Derakhshani and his officers returned to Tehran in January 1945 and immediately he was detained because on the charge of submission. All newspapers covered the news of Azerbaijan incidents and actions of the army. A board was formed to see into the deeds of the commandant of the division. Eventually, he was put to tiral. Both the court of first instance and the court of appeal condemned him to fifteen years of imprisionment. However, he was released after about 3 years. Derakhshani was one of famous opponents of Pahlavi regime. He was almost always under watch. In 1967, he made found an opportunity to enter into polemic dispute with Mehdi Farrokh in Sepid o Siah. In March 1978, Derakhshani was detained on the charge of espionage for the Soviets. In the same night, he suffered a fatal stroke. His family published his memoires after the success of Islamic revolution.