The Political Handbook of the World 1997 states that in 1982 the two leaders of Peykar, Alizara Ashtiyani and Hossein Ahmadi, were captured by the Iranian authorities, and "three months later Peykar was reported to have been virtually wiped out by government forces" (1997, 389). On 11 May 1998 a professor of political science at Spring Hill College in Mobile, Alabama, specializing on Iran, informed the Research Directorate in an e-mail communication that Peykar has been for all practical purposes a defunct organization for at least the past four years. As far as the professor knows, Peykar has no active members anywhere.

This Response was prepared after researching publicly accessible information currently available to the Research Directorate within time constraints. This Response is not, and does not purport to be, conclusive as to the merit of any particular claim to refugee status or asylum. Please find below the list of additional sources consulted in researching this Information Request.

Political Handbook of the World: 1997. 1997. Edited by Arthur S. Banks. Binghamton, NY: CSA Publications.

Professor of political science, Spring Hill College, Mobile, Alabama. 11 May 1998. E-mail communication.

Communist and Marxist Parties of the World.

Extremist Groups.

Electronic sources: IRB databases, FBIS, Global NewsBank, Internet, REFWORLD, WNC.

One oral source consulted did not provide information on the requested subject.