Another Suicide among Pahlavis

Mahmood Fazeli
Translated by: Mohammad Karimi

Alireza Pahlavi was born on April 28th, 1966 in Tehran as the second son of Mohammad Reza Pahlavi, the dictator and last Shah of Iran. He committed suicide on January 4th 2011 at his home in Boston by gunfire. He had bought this home for 2 million Dollars last year. His Filipinos servant informed the police about his death. The prosecuting attorney of “Suffolk” district said: “It seems that Alireza Pahlavi has died from bullet fired by himself.”
Leila Pahlavi, the 4th child of the Shah also committed suicide on June 10th 2001 at the age of 31 by consuming 270 sleeping pills. At that time it was announced that she was suffering from depression. She was the closest person to Alireza in Pahlavi family. Her death had a bad impact on him and finally led him to her destiny. One of Alireza’s friends about his suicide said: “Alireza was suffering from a deep depression after his sister’s death. He totally changed and became another person and never healed.”
One of the staff members of Pahlavi office claimed that his depression started when he was departed from Iran and began living in exile; something that got worse after the death of father and sister.
The first son of Mohammad Reza Pahlavi, former Shah of Iran, in an interview with the reporters in Boston said that Alireza Pahlavi’s suicide is “the horrible outcome” of depression. He said: “My brother could never forget the memory of my father’s and sister’s deaths. He tried hard to overcome this internal crisis, but could not succeed and finally depression smashed him under daily pressures.” He added: “He was sick for many years, but during the last contact that I had with him, I did not feel any sign of his determination for suicide.”
The death news of the 2nd Pahlavi prince was widely broadcasting in the media. He had committed suicide in a military way. It shows his royal background that he had committed suicide as a military commander!
When Iranian Islamic Revolution overthrew the Pahlavis, Alireza was less than 13 and Leila was about 9 years old and undoubtedly had no idea about what was going on in the country. Palaces and bowing courtiers were the only things that they have observed. These two were so depended to their father and his death brought their depression. After the victory of Islamic Revolution, the dreams of these tow little prince and princess wiped out. The palaces gates were closed to them and were never able to return home. They were banished and each day had to live in a different place. Their lifestyle of Alireza and Leila was a kind of exiled royalty delusion. This delusion had affected on their whole life.
His body is going to be buried in Boston, miles away from his father’s grave (Cairo) and sister’s (Paris). One of Pahlavi relatives has claimed that Alireza has asked in his will to be burned and then the ashes being poured in Caspian Sea. This claim was rejected by some of his friends and family members. Some believe the main reason for his suicide was the pressure by the fawning monarchist journalists or even his family who tried to keep him away from politics in order to deter the possible decrease of his elder brother’s political prestige. The reasons of these people are having no website, Facebook page or even an exclusive interview by Alireza.