1982 Amol uprising

The 1982 Amol uprising was an armed uprising against the government of Iran by the Maoist organisation Union of Iranian Communists (Sarbedaran).

Amol uprising
Part of the consolidation of the Iranian Revolution
A building riddled with bullet holes in Amol, 1982
Date 25 January 1982 Location Amol County, Iran Result Iranian government victory
Belligerents
Iran	Union of Iranian Communists
Commanders and leaders
Nasser Shabani	Kak Ismail
Strength
Unknown	~100
Casualties and losses
40–200 killed	40–100 killed

Background

The Union of Iranian Communists (Sarbedaran) or UIC(S) for short, was a Maoist organisation that adopted people's war as its line of struggle. The Amol County was chosen by UIC(S) as a revolutionary base area.

History

1982 was an important year in the history of the UIC(S) and the history of Maoism in Iran in general. In this year the UIC(S) mobilised forces in forests around Amol and launched an armed campaign against the Islamic Republic. It organised an uprising on 25 January 1982, led by Siamak Zaim. The uprising was eventually a failure and many UIC(S) and Maoist leaders were shot. Zaim was arrested by the Revolutionary Guard after they retook Amol by force, and eventually executed in 1984 in spite of a pardon from death granted for helping end the firefight.

Aftermath

After the failure of the uprising the UIC(S) went through a difficult period with most of its leadership and members arrested or killed. It also experienced various theoretical and political crises.

In culture

The Little Black Fish (Persian: ماهی سیاه کوچولو) is a 2014 Iranian film by Majid Esmaeili Parsa about Amol uprising.

See also

• KDPI insurgency (1989–1996)
• Iraqi Partisan movement, 1979–1988
• Maoist insurgency in Turkey

External links

• Iran: 32nd anniversary of the Amol uprising
• Photos of UIC(S) guerillas