Husayn Ahmad al- Radi

(party pseudonym Salim Adil). Born 1924 in al-Najaf; died Mar. 7, 1963, in Baghdad. Figure in the workers’ and national liberation movement of Iraq.

The son of a worker, al-Radi graduated from the pedagogical school in Baghdad and worked as a teacher in al-Diwaniya. He became a member of the Communist Party of Iraq (CPI) in 1943. He was arrested for taking part in an anti-imperialist uprising in 1948. In 1953 he headed the party organization of al-Basra Province and in 1954 and 1955 was in charge of the organization in the Middle Euphrates region. In June 1955 he became first secretary of the Central Committee of the CPI. In 1957 he took an active part in creating the Front of National Unity, which, together with the revolutionary organization called the Free Officers, led the anti-imperialist and antifeudal revolution of 1958. After a governmental coup on Feb. 8, 1963, al-Radi was arrested and died under torture.