Ahmad Tafazzoli (December 16, 1937, Isfahan – January 15, 1997, Tehran) () was a prominent Iranian Iranist and professor of ancient Iranian languages and culture at Tehran University. One of his most important books is Pre-Islamic Persian Literature. Jaleh Amouzegar contributed in editing it. In January 1997, Ahmad Tafazzoli was found dead in Punak, a suburb northwest of Tehran. He was known to have contacts with Iranian academics working abroad, and many of his colleagues believed that the authorities were behind his death, as part of the chain murders of Iran. While the precise circumstances remained unclear, Tafazzoli's death created a climate of fear at the university and discouraged criticism of the government. See also List of unsolved murders Persian literature Other notable Iranologists: Abdolhossein Zarrinkoub Alireza Shapour Shahbazi Richard Nelson Frye Ehsan Yarshater Mehrdad Bahar References Further reading The Spirit of Wisdom: Menog I Xrad : Essays in Memory of Ahmad Tafazzoli External links Names of 47 victims of political killings in Iran sent to UN Human Rights High Commissioner 1937 births 1997 deaths 20th-century linguists Burials at artist's block of Behesht-e Zahra Iranian critics Iranian Iranologists Iranian murder victims Writers from Isfahan Linguists from Iran Male murder victims Members of the Academy of Persian Language and Literature People murdered in Iran Academic staff of the University of Tehran Unsolved murders in Iran