Akram Yari

Akram Yari was an Afghan Maoist political organizer in Afghanistan from Hazara ethnicity. He was the leader and founder of the Progressive Youth Organization (PYO), a Marxist–Leninist organization which was formed on October 6, 1965.

Early years Akram Yari was born in Jaghori, Ghazni Province, Afghanistan and belonged to Hazara ethnic group. He was the son of a monarchist landowner. Later he moved to Kabul where he studied physics and mathematics.

Influence Under Akram Yari's leadership, PYO had strong support among the masses of workers and students in the cities of Afghanistan. Among the people of Afghanistan, the movement that PYO led is famous by the name of Shola-e-Jawid and its members were commonly known as the Sholayis (Flamists), after the name of their journal.

Akram Yari was a teacher and propagator of Marxism and introduced Marxism to a large number of intellectuals and political activists in Afghanistan, among them Dr. Faiz Ahmad, founder of Afghanistan Liberation Organization (ALO).

Arrest and assassination In 1978 the pro-Soviet PDPA came to power through a military coup. The PDPA government began a crackdown on PYO cadres. Akram Yari was arrested at his home in Jaghori, transferred to Kabul and later killed by the PDPA government. The exact circumstances surrounding his death are not known.