Massoud Rajavi ( Persian : مسعود رجوی , born 18 August 1948 – disappeared 13 March 2003) is an Iranian politician and revolutionary who became the leader of the People's Mojahedin Organization of Iran (MEK) in 1979. After leaving Iran in 1981, he resided in France and Iraq. He disappeared shortly before the 2003 invasion of Iraq , leaving his wife and co-leader Maryam Rajavi as the public face of the MEK.