Page 51 – Nejat Society

A street at Ashraf-3 camp with hills in the background MEK members walk in a street at the Ashraf-3 camp on March 4, 2020 [Gent Shkullaku/AFP]

The MEK Ashraf 3 Camp, center of conspiracy against Albanian gov.

Until June 20th, 2023, the headquarters of the Mujahedin-e Khalq called Ashraf 3 was a center for conspiracies and threats against Iran. For about a decade, from a NATO country in the European territory, the MEK have been targeting the Iranians’ mental and physical security using the remote isolated camp with high speed and unlimited Internet offered to them by the Albanian government.

On June 20th, 2023, the tide turned. The Special Anti-Corruption Structure (SPAK) tasked with investigating corruption and organized crime at the highest levels of government and society in Albania entered Ashraf 3 for the first time after the MEK’s relocation in its territory. The Albanian state has been given a lot of testimonies and documents based on MEK’s activities out of this headquarters which threaten the Albanian national security. The case had been discussed in the Albanian national security council headed by the President.

However, the Albanian Police forces were surprised when they were encountered with the MEK’s violent confrontation with the legal act taken by the police. The MEK’s crowd acted in harmony and unity to create a human shield against police forces in order to prevent them from entering certain sections of the camp and some other members used the opportunity to burn the documents.

The MEK claims that the Police have broken their computers. They should be asked what the use of broken computers is for the Police? The police tried their best to prevent the destruction of the computers by the Mujahedin because they were looking for evidence to prove the crimes. The MEK’s reaction proved their dishonesty.

The clash in Ashraf 3 turned it to a center of conspiracies against Albania while it was vise versa until before June 20th. The MEK has launched all its capacities for propaganda, political and legal actions against the Albanian government. Albania has simply turned in to the MEK’s most challenging project.

What has taken place in Albania was previously predicted in the letter of Nejat NGO’s CEO, Ebrahim Khodabandeh to the Albanian president Bajram Begaj: from rallies in front of Albanian embassies in different countries to pushing fake organizations and former politicians to show off for the Albanian government as if the MEK is supported by the entire world and Albania is isolated.

A look at the MEK’s background indicates that the MEK has always been a problem for hosting countries, but the group has always tried to relate its own problematic nature to the Iranian government’s intervention. In Britain, the charity of the MEK called Iran Aid was revealed to be a front organization for financial fraud, money laundering and economic crimes. The offices of Iran Aid were investigated by the British government; the documents were revealed in the media. The Cult of Rajavi claimed that it was a plot made by Iranian regime.

The same tactic was performed by the MEK when it was listed as a terrorist organization by the US, Britian and EU. The group claimed that listing was done due to collusions between Iran and the West. This was while Western intelligence services had found the MEK as a threat to their national security.

The MEK also reacted the same way when its team houses in Koln, Germany, were investigated by German government and the documents on MEK’s fraud in German social service were discovered. The group immediately sent the two main accused women to its then headquarters in Iraq.

When in June 2003, the group’s headquarters in the suburb of Paris was raided by the French Police, under the charges of money laundering, financial fraud, intelligence laundering and operating terror acts, the group launched organized self-immolation operations by its brainwashed members to distract attentions from the main issue.

In Iraq, the MEK obstructed the enforcement of the law by Iraqi security forces twice. The group’s Camp Ashraf was also a safe place for ISIS and Baath forces. The clashes between the MEK and Iraqi forces ended with death and injury of many Mujaheds.

The last incident of this series took place on June 20th. The group has a long record on violating the rule of law including human smuggling and siding with mafia. The reports had been previously published in Albanian media.

In all the above-mentioned cases, the group threatened the national security of hosting countries but it claims to be the target of Iran’s propaganda. It wants to distract attention from the main issue: The national security of the hosting county was endangered.

Unfortunately, the MEK has been successful to force the host countries to give up on their right to sovereignty. There are two reasons: First, these countries were not willing to use time, energy and resources to get rid of the MEK, Second, they seem to be under pressure for not to be known as supporters of the Iranian government.

Today, the conditions have dramatically turned against the MEK. Based on previous experiences such conditions do not seem to be stable. As usual, the MEK claims that it is a plot made by the Islamic Republic. However, there is no evidence to prove the group’s claims. It is a sensitive situation that requires the all-round vigilance of the Albanian statesmen. They should not fall short against the bullying of the MEK and consider the national interests as their priority and do not give up the game.

June 27, 2023 0 comments

Mujahedin Khalq; A proxy force

The MEK’s waning fortunes

Following a raid on the fringe Iranian group’s base, it’s become clear that Western leaders view it as more of a liability than an asset.

The former vice president of the United States Mike Pence joined a long list of former U.S. dignitaries who have thrown their weight behind the National Council of Resistance of Iran (NCRI), a political front for the Mojaheddeen-e Khalk (MEK), a cult-like exiled Iranian opposition group with a history of human rights abuses and anti-American violence which merited it a place on the U.S. list of terrorist organizations from 1997 to 2012.

Pence, addressing an MEK event on March 13, hailed MEK as a “secular, democratic, non-nuclear” alternative to the current government in Iran. In fact, Pence’s flirtation with the MEK is not new: in 2021, he described the MEK as “well-organized, fully prepared, perfectly qualified and popularly supported” to become Iran’s new government, while praising its “president-elect” Maryam Rajavi as an “inspiration to the world”.

Pence has since announced that he is running for the Republican presidential nomination in 2024. While his popularity now is somewhere in the single digits, a hypothetical disqualification of the front-runner Donald Trump could throw the Republican race into disarray, with all bets off, and this is where Pence might try to capitalize on the non-Trumpian segment of the GOP – which is what he was trying to do ever since he left office by projecting an image of a responsible elder statesman.

That’s why his endorsement of the MEK is not a trivial matter. For Pence, like his fellow Trump administration’s veterans Mike Pompeo and John Bolton, cozying up to MEK is a way to signal his hawkishness on Iran and, perhaps, court mostly neoconservative campaign donors who oppose the Biden administration’s attempts to de-escalate tensions and would push for a return of Trump’s “maximum pressure” policy against Iran.

Yet Pence’s bet may work out better in the narrow world of Washington’s politics than in effecting a real change in Iran for whose people he professes so much concern. This is so because the MEK’s fortunes are demonstrably on the wane.

On June 20, Albanian law enforcement raided the MEK’s base in that Balkan country to which MEK cadres were relocated from their base in Iraq known as Camp Ashraf. Earlier, many MEK militants had resided intermittently in France after losing a power struggle in the early 1980s against the supporters of the leader of the Islamic revolution Ayatollah Khomeini, whom they initially supported against the pro-Western Pahlavi monarchy. From France, most of their membership moved to Iraq where they cooperated with Saddam Hussein, particularly in the latter stages of the Iran-Iraq war. That cooperation earned the MEK the nearly universal hatred of the Iranians, irrespective of their political views.

to download the video file click here

Albanian authorities claimed that the raid on the base, tellingly called Ashraf III, was due to the MEK’s violation of the terms of the U.S.-mediated agreement that allowed them to resettle in the country. The agreement was conceived as a humanitarian gesture to a few thousand mostly aging individuals no longer welcome on Iraqi soil after Saddam’s removal. The MEK, however, reportedly used their presence in Albania as a base for political activities, including, at the very least, cyber-attacks directed against third countries (presumably Iran) and mass online trolling and harassment of the group’s many opponents.

According to early reports, the MEK violently resisted the Albanian raid. The ensuing chaos has resulted in the death of at least one person and injuries of dozens more. That the MEK should resist the (completely legal) actions of the law enforcement of a country that has given them humanitarian asylum in itself raises questions about the extent to which the MEK may have evolved into some sort of a “state within the state” in Albania. There is no reason for a sovereign state like Albania to tolerate on its territory some enclaves where its national laws don’t necessarily apply.

The operation in Albania came on the heels of the decision of France to refuse permission, on security grounds, for a large NCRI/MEK’s gathering planned near Paris in July. That is another setback for the deep-pocketed group that used such rallies to gain international visibility as a credible alternative to the regime in Tehran. In fact, the French have long been uncomfortable with the group whose presence is seen as reaping more costs than benefits.

The MEK and its American supporters, such as Sen. Ted Cruz (R-Texas), predictably lashed out at France and Albania for supposedly acting at the “ayatollah’s behest”. This is an absurd claim, ironically fully in sync with the supporters of Iran’s hardline president Ebrahim Raisi who see the raid as a diplomatic victory for Tehran. In fact, diplomatic relations between Albania and Iran were severed in 2022 after a suspected large-scale Iranian cyberattack against Albania, so any notion of a Tehran-Tirana plot is highly unlikely to be grounded in reality.

As to France, it has its own reasons to engage Iran: it hopes to revive, in some form, the moribund nuclear pact, gain the release of remaining French prisoners in Iran, and persuade Iran to drop its active support for Russia’s aggression in Ukraine. To those ends, President Emmanuel Macron has recently spoken directly with Raisi. As long as the diplomatic channels with Tehran remain open, the MEK’s activities in France are seen as harmful.

The fact of the matter is that the MEK is increasingly seen by international and regional players as a liability rather than an asset. After the raid in Albania, the U.S. State Department stressed that “the U.S. doesn’t see MEK as a viable democratic opposition movement that is representative of Iranian people.” While that, in itself, is not a new position, the way it was formulated was stronger than usual. It might have something to do with the fact that the U.S. and Iran are currently moving towards some sort of a de-escalation deal that would see Iran impose some limits on its nuclear enrichment in exchange for a limited sanctions relief.

Another blow to MEK is the budding Saudi-Iranian normalization. Saudi Arabia, until recently one of Iran’s chief adversaries in the region, was long suspected of funding the MEK. Its high-level representatives, such as Prince Turki al-Faisal, a former ambassador to Britain and the U.S. and a former director of Saudi intelligence, sometimes attended MEK’s rallies where he supported the “downfall of the regime” in Iran. It is entirely conceivable that, as part of the Tehran-Riyadh rapprochement, Saudi Arabia would downgrade its ties to the group, if not abandon them altogether.

Perhaps most damning of all, in Iran itself the group has no role or influence whatsoever in the ongoing women-led protests that began last fall. The MEK is desperate to remain relevant, particularly when it now faces stiff competition for Western politicians’ attention from the regime’s opponents in exile, including the son of the deposed shah Reza Pahlavi, activists Masih Alinejad and Hamed Esmailioun, and others who want nothing to do with the cult.

Whatever short-term benefits Pence and other American politicians may derive from their relationship with the MEK, it is more evidence of Washington’s political dysfunctionality when it comes to relations with Iran than a safe bet for the future.

Written by Eldar Mamedov – Responsiblestatecraft

June 26, 2023 0 comments

Soraya Abdollahi, mother of Amiraslan Hassan Zadeh who is hijacked by the MEK elements 21 years ago

Albania

Soraya Abdollahi pens letter to the Interior Minister of Albania

Ms. Soraya Abdollahi wrote a letter to Bledi Çuçi, the text of which is as follows.

Honorable Minister of Interior of the Republic of Albania
Your Excellency, Mr. Bledi Çuçi
Greetings and respect

I am Soraya Abdollahi, the mother of Amir Aslan Hassanzadeh, who is a captive in the Mojahedin-e Khalq (MEK) camp in Albania, and I am responsible for organizing the mothers of the Nejat Society in Iran. Mothers whose children, like my son, are trapped in the MEK camp and have nowhere to go. Mothers who are rightfully title as the “forgotten victims of the Rajavi Cult”.
I and other suffering mothers whose children are in Camp Ashraf 3 in Manëz, Albania against their will, have written many times to you and other authorities of your country and we are still waiting for the response and reaction from the honorable government.

According to media reports, the MEK has taken nearly 2,000 of our children hostage for decades and does not allow the families to meet, make phone calls, or even exchange letters. These people have been based in Albania for almost a decade now.

During the past years, Rajavi’s cult has brought many of our children into the cult through illegal channels and smuggling. Many of these people had gone to Turkey, the UAE, Pakistan and other countries in search of work and a better life. They were deceived by the promise of work and residence in European countries and were forcibly brought to Iraq and inside Camp Ashraf. After that, they were subjected to a complex process of brainwashing and they were not allowed to go out and communicate with the free world, especially their family.

Members of the MEK, based on cultic controls, have been denied permission to communicate with the free world, form a family and living, communicate with family and friends, study, have a job, and have personal life. They cannot leave the camp run by the cult commanders and contact us, and we expectant mothers and families wish to find out about their health and how they live.
Unfortunately, during the last four decades, many fathers and mothers have suffered a lot due to the separation and distance of their children or died without getting news of their loved ones.

According to the provisions and obligations that were communicated to them when they entered Albania, the MEK should reside in the country of Albania based on asylum laws and basic human rights and as refugees individually. But all members have been under the absolute control of the leaders of MEK who did not adhere to any of their commitments. The leadership of the MEK has practically imprisoned and held its members hostage and violates their basic human rights.

Considering the current situation where the main and law-abiding nature of the MEK has been clarified against the responsible action of the respected government of Albania in the direction of applying the law and national sovereignty, and considering the precarious situation of our loved ones in the MEK in Albania, we the painful families, for the sake of the captives, appeal you that first allow the Iranian families who can prove their relationship with the people stationed in the MEK camp to enter Albania, and secondly consider arrangements so that these elderly people can meet their loved ones.

Sincerely,
Soraya Abdullahi
Representative of the mothers of Nejat Society

June 26, 2023 0 comments

Samad Eskandari wrote a letter to Bledar Çuçi

Albania

Letter from the legal affairs officer of Nejat Society to the Minister of Interior of Albania

Samad Eskandari wrote a letter to Bledar Çuçi, the text of which is as follows:

Excellency, Mr. Bledar (Bledi) Çuçi
Honorable Minister of Interior Affairs of the Republic of Albania

Greetings and respect
I am Samad Eskandari, the legal affairs officer of Nejat Society and the attorney of 250 former members of the Mojahedin-e Khalq Organization (MEK, MKO, Rajavi Cult) who live in Iran. Each of the former members was trapped in this anti-human group for an average of 10 to 25 years under cultic suppression and brainwashing. We filed a complaint in the courts of Iran, and a final verdict was issued against the leaders of the Rajavi Cult.
Fortunately, with the overthrow of Saddam Hussein’s dictatorship in Iraq and the creation of suitable conditions, we managed to escape from Ashraf Garrison in Iraq and also from Albania. Due to the presence in this group for many years, each of us is a living document and eyewitness to recount the crimes of the leaders of the MEK in the past decades in Iraq and Albania.

The ideological structure of the MEK is based on the use of deception, violence, murder, torture, elimination of opponents, controversy, etc., and unfortunately, each and every one of us during the years of being in the MEK, only because of the request for the right to communicate with the free world and family, marry and form a family, and the most basic human rights, were subjected to torture, humiliation, and imprisonment by Masoud and Maryam Rajavi. The negative mental and physical consequences have remained as a very bitter experience in the minds and bodies of the members. This surely cannot be refundable .The MEK in Iraq was complicit with Saddam Hussein in killing Kurdish citizens in the north and Shiites in the south of Iraq, and each one of us is an eyewitness to these bitter realities. This organization has also started imprisoning, torturing and killing its disaffected members. After the overthrow of Saddam Hussein’s dictatorship, the Iraqi government filed a criminal case in the Supreme Central Criminal Court of Iraq to deal with the criminals and war crimes of the MEK, and issued a warrant to arrest Masoud and Maryam Rajavi and a significant number of their key leaders for prosecution. In this regard, Mr. Mowafq al-Rabiei, the national security advisor of the Iraqi government at the time, openly admitted in the presence of domestic and foreign journalists that the MEK were deployed in Iraq by Saddam Hussein, contrary to the laws of that time, and they joined in the suppression of the Iraqi people’s uprising in 1991, and participated in the massacre of Kurds and Shiites. The documents of this case are available in the judicial system of Iraq, and I request you to inquire about this matter from the Iraqi judicial system in order to discover the truth. Among the wanted persons is Abdol Vahab Farjinejad Jahormi, who entered Albania under the fake name of Ali Mostashari and died in the events of June 20, 2023.

Massoud and Maryam Rajavi in Iraq have personally ordered the torture and killing of Qorban Ali Torabi, Parviz Ahmadi, Mehdi Eftekhari and a large number of their members just because of opposing Rajavi and criticizing his policies and working methods. A large number of discontented members of the MEK, such as Karim Pedram, Khodam Golmohammadi, Alan Mohammadi, Minou Fathali, Marjan Akbari, Mehri Mousavi, Homa Bashardoust, Marjan Akbarian, Masoume Ghaibipour, and many others were killed suspiciously.

Yaser Akbari Nasab, as a child soldier who was forcibly transferred from Europe to the MEK garrison in Iraq, due to the growing physical and mental pressure and Maryam Rajavi’s obstruction of his departure, in front of the astonished eyes of everyone in Ashraf, set himself on fire using gasoline and died painfully. These are just a few of the crimes of the MEK under the leadership of Masoud and Maryam Rajavi, and listing all similar examples is beyond the scope of this letter.
I, as the legal representative of Nejat Society and the attorney of the former members of the Rajavi Cult, filed a lawsuit against Masoud Rajavi’s agents, for crime against humanity, through the 55th branch of Tehran International Court, according to file class 9900473 and ruling number 9909970237601145, and the official and definitive ruling was issued in 39 pages according to the available documents, and then the judicial systems of Albania and France came to the knowledge that the leaders and a number of key elements and agents of torture and killing of the MEK have been legally convicted. The second version of the ruling along with the documents of the crimes of the MEK in hundreds of pages was handed over to Mr. Ahmed Karim Khan, the prosecutor of the International Criminal Court in The Hague.

(The letter sent by The Hague Court ICC)

You only witnessed a small part of the violent and inappropriate behavior of the leaders and operatives of the MEK on June 20 this year in Manëz. This is only a small part of the brutality of the MEK and beyond the law activities, and each one of us has bitter stories of this tragedy in our hearts, which will naturally become more apparent to the world if the nature of the MEK is heard.

Referring to the verdict issued by the Tehran International Court and as the attorney of the former members of the MEK, I will be proud to inform you about the true nature of this cult with the documents based on objective evidence in your country. After a little search and examining the past of the MEK in Iraq, you will realize that wherever they are in the world, they have brought nothing but chaos, division, anarchy and disorder to the host country.
The beautiful country of Albania has a strong affinity with Iran in terms of social, cultural, literary, historical and religious aspects. Those MEK members who separated from the MEK are organized in your country in the Association for the Support of Iranians Living in Albania (ASILA), along other former members in all parts of the world, are ready to appear in a court in Albania to testify against the MEK leaders for criminal acts.

In the end, I would like to make a request to your Excellency, and that is to deal with the situation of three Iranian asylum seekers who are members of ASILA in the Karrc camp, who after years of living in Albania and having wives, are now in captivity for many months without any explanation, which causes deep concerns of their families. I request that Mehdi Soleimani, Hassan Shahbaz, and Gholamreza Shekari be released as soon as possible. I would also like to draw your attention to the case of Mr. Bijan Pouladrag. I am not aware of his case, but I know that he had just left the MEK after so many years and was completely ignorant of the rules and regulations of the free world. My suggestion is that according to the existing conditions and as a humanitarian measure for his worried family who had not heard from him for years, you can pardon him.
Regards
Samad Eskandari,
Legal affairs officer of Nejat Society
June 22, 2023

June 25, 2023 0 comments

Mujahedin Khalq Organization

Iranian opposition group; MEK has few friends following Albanian police raid

The MEK, once internationally lauded as a potential replacement for the Islamic Republic, has seen its rallies banned and headquarters raided by police in the last week

In May 2022, Mike Pompeo, who had until just the year before been US secretary of state, addressed a meeting of the National Council of Resistance of Iran (NCRI), the umbrella organisation largely seen as a front for the Iranian opposition group People’s Mojahedin Organization of Iran (MEK).

Speaking in front of thousands of MEK supporters, the man who had arguably been the world’s most powerful diplomat hailed the group’s leader Maryam Rajavi as “president-elect” of Iran.
“Under her leadership, the National Council of Resistance of Iran is laying the groundwork for a free, sovereign and democratic republic in Iran,” Pompeo said. “We must continue to support the Iranian people as they fight for a freer and more democratic Iran in any way we can.”
Just over a year later, the group’s fortunes appear to have nosedived.

On Tuesday morning, Albanian counter-terrorism police raided the MEK’s base, which has been in the west of the Balkan country since it moved out of Iraq in 2003.

According to the group, an MEK member named Ali Mostashari was killed as police moved to seize devices and equipment belonging to the group.

Albanian police denied any responsibility for the death and said they were enforcing a court order that came after the country’s interior ministry accused the MEK of refusing to abide by a 2014 agreement allowing them to remain in the country “for humanitarian purposes alone”.

Scenes from the savage attack against #Ashraf3 by Albanian security forces on June 20.#AshrafAttackpic.twitter.com/RVwI1OGjUf
— People’s Mojahedin Organization of Iran (PMOI/MEK) (@Mojahedineng) June 21, 2023

“Unfortunately, this group has not adhered to these commitments, breaching the agreement,” said the ministry in a statement, saying the MEK had engaged in “political” activity while in Albania.
Although police did not elaborate on the reasons for the raid, local media reported that the group was suspected of orchestrating cyberattacks against foreign institutions. They also said one man had died of a suspected cardiac arrest during the raid.

The raid, which the NCRI said came at the “behest” of the Iranian government, comes just days after a planned rally by the group was banned for the first time in Paris as a result of what French police said was a likelihood to “generate disturbances to public order” as well as the risk of terror attacks.

‘State-within-a-state’

The MEK’s fortunes have fluctuated since its founding in 1965. Originally espousing an unorthodox mix of Islamism and Marxism, following the 1979 Islamic Revolution – which the group supported – it eventually became a sworn enemy of the Islamic Republic.

During the 1980s, it conducted a series of deadly bombing campaigns aimed at destabilising the nascent state and threw its weight behind Saddam Hussein in the Iran-Iraq war. In retaliation, the Islamic Republic executed thousands of the opposition group’s members.

Between 1997 and 2012, the MEK was classified as a terrorist organisation by the US State Department, but its help in providing evidence of Iran’s nuclear ambitions and its ability to mobilise large numbers of heavily disciplined supporters allowed the group to become arguably the most visible opposition organisation in the diaspora.

As much as opponents of the Islamic Republic have lauded the group, its uncompromising stance – combined with accusations of brainwashing and cult-like behaviour among members – has made the MEK an unreliable ally, something not helped by the general consensus that the group has little to no support inside Iran.

It was no surprise therefore that its activities – which include massive online troll farms and harassment campaigns against politicians and campaigners seen as not being sufficiently against the Islamic Republic – might eventually provoke a backlash.

“The MEK have always been a state within a state for the countries that harbour them, and even if they function as a spy network of sorts for the United States, I think at a certain point the amount of clandestine wheeling and dealing that they do from this secretive compound has become more work to deal with than it is worth, especially when it’s Albania that has had to be the proxy to give them safe harbour all these years,” Seamus Malekafzali, an Iranian-American freelance journalist who writes on Middle East issues, told MEE.

Following the raid, the US State Department issued a statement in which it said it backed the Albanian police’s actions and said that it “doesn’t see MEK as a viable democratic opposition movement that is representative of Iranian people”, adding that it continued to have “serious concerns about MEK as an organisation, including allegations of abuse committed against its own members”.

Although relations between the US and MEK have never been overt, previous American administrations have rarely been so frank in their assessment of the group.

It is also unlikely, said Malekafzali, to be a coincidence that the MEK’s ailing fortunes have come in the wake of a thawing of ties between Iran and Saudi Arabia, which for many years had been accused of providing support to the group.
“My intuition is that the Saudi-Iran rapprochement is what really sealed the deal here,” he said.

“The signal that was given off after the failure of the Mahsa Amini protests and now this huge diplomatic breakthrough is that the Islamic Republic will be around for a while yet.”

Middle East Eye contacted the US State Department for comment, but had received no response at time of publication.
MEE also contacted the MEK and NCRI for comment, but also received no response.

By Alex MacDonald – middleeasteye.net

June 25, 2023 0 comments

The Albania police takes control of the MEK Camp Ashraf 3

Mujahedin Khalq Organization as a terrorist group

The clash in Manzë, the well-known journalist comes out with a strong statement

The SPAK Special Prosecutor’s Office yesterday ordered the State Police to carry out checks in the mujahedin camp in Manzë.

The controls in question brought a strong reaction from the residents of this camp, who clashed with the law enforcement, while 15 officers were injured, also from the ranks of the mujahedin.

Regarding this event, the journalist Lavdrim Lita in a television interview said that after what happened the day before in the Manza camp, the Albanian government wants to renegotiate the agreement with the Mujahideen.

“I think that the Albanian Government is moving towards a renegotiation of the agreement with the Mujahideen.

And all that spectacle with drones and cameras was a diplomatic necessity to renegotiate the issue.

Of course, from the operational plan, it was known that there would be problems, as it is known that those people are also trained in the military and know how to act in such cases.

And of course SPAK or other law enforcement institutions have had suspicions of illegal activity within Manza, because it is thought that there were servers from which there could have been attacks on Iran or other countries, attacks that were launched from Manza. There have been similar complaints since attacks on third countries were launched from Manza.

Of course, we do not have laboratories powerful enough to decipher the codes used, which may require more time to decipher them. But of course, Albania is within its right to apply similar controls.

In my opinion, the residents of Manza, that is, those of the MEK, are not all criminals, and as such they cannot be judged collectively”, said journalist Lavdrim Lita.

by SOT.COM.AL

June 25, 2023 0 comments

Mujahedin Khalq as an Opposition Group

7 Mojahedin-e Khalq (MEK) Struggle Strategies to Overthrow Islamic Republic of Iran

Albanian police raided a camp housing thousands of members of Mojahedin-e Khalq (MEK), a group opposed to the Iranian government. The MEK is known as an Iranian rebel supported by the United States (US) and continues to fight against supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei. MEK has been carrying out its struggle abroad, from Iraq to Albania. They have no space in Iran itself. It became the organization was not able to develop rapidly.
However, the MEK continues to struggle and intensify various strategies to overthrow Iran’s supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei. Here are 7 MEK struggles against Iran’s supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei.

1. Revolutionary Leaning

MEK Khalq began as a revolutionary left-wing group that opposed the government of Mohammad Reza Pahlavi, Iran’s last shah who was overthrown by the 1979 Islamic revolution that gave birth to the current establishment in Iran. They were initially allied with other revolutionaries but fell out with the country’s first supreme leader, Ayatollah Ali Khomeini, father of Ayatollah Ali Khamenei. The MEK begins an armed rebellion against its fledgling government that includes high-profile bombings and assassinations.

2. Ally with Saddam Hussein

MEK finally had to leave Iran and ally with Saddam Hussein, the leader of Iraq. MEK members launched armed attacks on Iranian soil during the eight year Iran-Iraq War in the 1980s. The Iranian government considers them a terrorist group and claims they are responsible for the deaths of around 17,000 Iranians.

3. Moving to Albania

MEK members were for years based in a camp in Iraq, but eventually had to secure a deal to move to Albania in the mid-2010s after Iraqi officials grew increasingly hostile to them. Many media outlets have reported that the MEK operates like a cult, imposing severe restrictions on its members and subjecting them to physical and mental abuse. Lacking legitimacy and support among Iranians, the group has also claimed hacking or penetration of state-linked institutions in Iran.

4. Hostile to Albania

Dozens of Albanian police raided the Ashraf-3 camp near Manze, a small hill town about 30 km (18.6 miles) west of the Albanian capital, Tirana.
Police said the raid complied with a court order, issued following an investigation by SPAK, or the Special Anti-Corruption Structure, into what it said were political activities not sanctioned by the MEK that contravened a 2014 agreement that allowed members to reside in Albania. Albania’s Interior Ministry supported the raid, and National Police Chief Muhamet Rrumbullaku said he was angry and offended that MEK members had tried to block police officers from confiscating electronic devices and their leaders had not cooperated.
MEK said one of its members, identified as 65-year-old Ali Mostashari, died and more than 100 camp residents were injured by pepper spray. Police said the man’s death had nothing to do with police action and officers were careful not to use force.

5. Iran Conducts Special Lobbying

Iran’s foreign ministry spokesman, Nasser Kanani, welcomed the news saying that the MEK will always be a danger to the security of the host country due to its “terrorist nature”. “This is why the Iraqi government is expelling them and other governments are refusing to accept them. We hope that the Albanian government makes amends for hosting this terrorist cult,” he said.

6. Representation of the US

Interestingly, the US government responded by distancing itself from the MEK, a group that has been vigorously supported by a number of senior US officials for years, including former Vice President Mike Pence.
Washington says it has been assured by Albania that the raids were carried out in accordance with the law and has serious concerns about the MEK, including over allegations of abuses made against its own members. Most recently, the US has also said it does not regard the MEK as a proper democratic opposition movement that represents the Iranian people.
The US government is also no longer providing support, training, or funding to the group. The US and European Union delisted the MEK as a “terrorist” organization more than a decade ago after the group vowed to renounce its violent practices. Iran last year blacklisted dozens of US officials for their support of the MEK.

7. Operating in France

Since the Albanian raids come one day after France blocked the MEK from holding its 1 July 2023 rally in Paris. Meanwhile the National Council of Resistance to Iran, the MEK’s umbrella group, accused France of bowing to “pressure” from the Iranian government.

By Andika H Mustaqim – SINDOnews.com – Translated from Indonesian

June 25, 2023 0 comments

Albania

Why was this Iran dissident group raided in Europe?

After the raid, Iran said the MEK must be expelled while the US sought to distance itself from the troubled group.

A camp inhabited by several thousand members of Mojahedin-e Khalq (MEK), a group opposed to the theocratic government in Iran, has been raided by police in Albania.

One person died and dozens were injured, while claims and theories on what exactly happened at the Ashraf-3 camp abound.

So who are the MEK? What are they doing in the Western Balkan nation? How does the United States fit in? And why does this matter?

Who are the MEK?

The Mojahedin-e Khalq started as a leftist revolutionary-minded group that opposed the rule of Mohammad Reza Pahlavi, the last shah of Iran who was overthrown by the 1979 Islamic revolution that birthed the current establishment in Iran.

They were initially allied with other revolutionaries,but had a falling out with the country’s first supreme leader, Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini, and started an armed uprising against his fledgling government that included bombings and high-level assassinations.

They eventually had to leave Iran and allied themselves with Saddam Hussein, the then-authoritarian leader in neighbouring Iraq. Members of the group launched armed offensives on Iranian soil during the eight-year Iran-Iraq War in the 1980s.

The Iranian government considers them a “terrorist” group and claims they are responsible for the deaths of about 17,000 Iranians.

MEK members were for years based in a camp in Iraq, but eventually had to secure an agreement to move to Albania in the mid-2010s after Iraqi officials turned increasingly hostile to them.

Accounts by former members and numerous reports by international outlets over the years detailed how the organisation “operates like a cult”, imposing harsh restrictions on its members and subjecting them to physical and mental abuse.

Lacking legitimacy and support among Iranians, the group has also been documented to operate online troll farms, repeatedly boasting of hacking or penetrating state-linked institutions in Iran. Some of their accounts went dark on Tuesday after the Albanian police raid.

To download the video file click here

Why the raid?

Scores of Albanian police raided the Ashraf-3 camp near Manze, a small hill town some 30km (18.6 miles) west of Albania’s capital Tirana.

Police said the raid was in accordance with a court order, which was issued after an investigation by the SPAK, or the Special Anti-Corruption Structure, into what it said were unsanctioned political activities by the MEK that went against the 2014 agreement that allowed members to reside in Albania.

The Albanian interior ministry supported the raid, and national police Chief Muhamet Rrumbullaku said he was “indignant and offended” that MEK members tried to block police officers from seizing electronic devices and that their leaders did not cooperate.

Videos and reports from the raid showed chaotic scenes, with MEK members shouting and angrily confronting police and media.

“I want to know if Albanian police are protector or terrorist,” one member told an Albanian television reporter on the scene after inserting himself into the camera frame.

The MEK said one of its members, identified as 65-year-old Ali Mostashari, died on Tuesday and more than 100 camp residents were injured by pepper spray. Police said the man’s death had nothing to do with police action and officers took care not to use forceful action.

What’s everybody saying?

The Iranian foreign ministry spokesperson, Nasser Kanani, greeted the news by saying that the MEK will always be a danger to the security of its host country due to its “terrorist nature”.

“This is why the Iraqi government expelled them and other governments refused to accept them. We hope the Albanian government makes up for its mistake in hosting this terrorist cult,” he tweeted on Wednesday.

Interestingly, the US government responded by distancing itself from the MEK, a group that has been vociferously backed by a number of senior US officials over the years, including former Vice President Mike Pence.

Washington said it has been assured by Albania that the raid was conducted in accordance with the law and that it has serious concerns about the MEK, including in relation to allegations of abuses committed against its own members.

MEK members walk in a street at the Ashraf-3 camp on March 4, 2020 [Gent Shkullaku/AFP]

It also said it does not consider the MEK “a viable democratic opposition movement that is representative of the Iranian people” and sought to ensure that the US government does not provide support, training or funding to the group.

The US and the European Union delisted the MEK as a “terrorist” organisation more than a decade ago after the group promised to renounce its violent practices. Iran last year blacklisted dozens of US officials over their support of the MEK.

Last September, Tirana cut diplomatic ties with Tehran after accusing it of a major cyberattack, something Iran denied. The US and the European Union supported Albania in the incident.

Tuesday’s raid prompted MEK-affiliated accounts online to accuse Albania of engaging in practices favouring the Iranian government.

Since the raid came one day after France blocked the MEK from holding a July 1 rally in Paris – where they had gathered many times before – some users online linked the two incidents, while the National Council of Resistance of Iran, the umbrella group of the MEK, accused France of bowing to “pressure” from the Iranian government.

The online theories were only compounded by the fact that last week, Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi had a lengthy phone call with his French counterpart Emmanuel Macron. Neither side officially mentioned the MEK.

By Maziar Motamedi – Al Jazeera

June 24, 2023 0 comments

Iran

Iran reacts to developments in MKO terrorist base in Albania

Iranian Foreign Ministry Spokesperson on early Wednesday reacted to the developments that occurred in the base of the Mujahedin-e Khalq (MKO) terrorist organization in Manez.

The MKO elements will always pose a threat to the security of their host due to their terrorist nature, Nasser Kan’ani tweeted.

For this reason, the Iraqi government expelled them and other governments refused to accept them, he added.

Several people were injured on Tuesday as Albania’s police inspected a base of the Mujahedin-e Khalq (MKO) terrorist organization in Manez.

Following the clashes that broke out between the terrorist forces and the Albanian police, an MKO terrorist was killed and dozens of others were injured, according to the reports.

Iranian Foreign Ministry Spokesperson; Nasser Kanaani

The reports added that 6 of the injured terrorists are in critical health condition.

“We hope that the Albanian government will make up for its mistake in hosting these terrorists,” he added.

According to the statement released by the Albanian interior ministry, the Albanian police took control of the terrorists’ base for an hour and inspected their offices and electronic devices.

Some unconventional electronic devices, including a number of drones, were seized by the police, according to the statement.

The MKO has conducted numerous assassinations and bombings against Iranian statesmen and civilians since the 1979 victory of Iran’s Islamic Revolution. Its members fled Iran in 1986 to Iraq, where they enjoyed backing from former Iraqi dictator Saddam Hussein.

Out of the nearly 17,000 Iranians killed in terrorist assaults since the Islamic Revolution, about 12,000 have fallen victim to the MKO’s acts of terror.

MKO terrorists enjoy the freedom of activity in the US and Europe and even hold regular meetings where European and American officials make speeches.

June 24, 2023 0 comments

Missions of Nejat Society

Nejat CEO’s letter to the President of Albania

His Excellency Major General Bajram Begaj
Honorable President of the Republic of Albania, Commander in Chief, and Chairman of the Supreme National Security Council

Greetings and regards
I am Ebrahim Khodabandeh, the CEO of the NGO Najat Society in Iran. I am writing to you on behalf of the families of members trapped in the Mojahedin-e Khalq Organization (MEK, MKO, Rajavi Cult) camp in Albania. I guess you are relatively familiar with these names.

First of all, I would like to express the gratitude of the families and former members of the MEK for the responsible action of the Albanian government in exercising the right of national sovereignty, which revealed the true face and main nature of the MEK to the world. This action, which was carried out for the highest national interests of Albania, also brought joy to the families and shone a light of hope on their hearts so that with the opening of the doors of the luxurious and green prison of the MEK in Manëz, they could meet, after decades, with their loved ones in complete freedom and liberation. Undoubtedly, this will be a turning point so that the captives of the Rajavi Cult can communicate with the free world and the families.

As an international relations expert who has enough experience and knowledge in the external relations of the MEK, and as someone who has played a responsible role in the international activities of this organization for 23 years around the clock, and fully acquainted with the function and mentality of its leaders, I would like to share my experiences with the governmental institutions of the Republic of Albania.

It should be noted that the leadership of the MEK has benefited from having an isolated and remote camp in Albania for nearly a decade, which is the dream of every leader of a terrorist cult. In this camp, which, unfortunately, until Tuesday, June 20, the officials of the Albanian government did not have the right to interfere in its internal affairs, there were three significant systematic offenses:

1. Violation of the most basic human rights of the brainwashed members of the cult, who are cut off from the outside world, especially family and friends.

2. Forming a cyber army or troll farm using the unlimited internet facilities in Albania, this targets the cyber security of Iran and the Iranian people.

3. Directing terrorist cells known as rebel centers from Albanian soil using Albanian communication facilities in a part known as Interior Headquarters to carry out malicious operations that threaten the lives and property of the Iranian people.

I request the honorable presidency of the Republic of Albania, and all the members of the National Security Council and experts who deal with this terrorist cult to conduct deeper studies about the mind control destructive cults, because without mastering this knowledge, it is not possible to understand the functioning of the MEK. I and other former members of the MEK inside and outside Albania are always ready to inform about the events inside their camp in Manëz. This extensive and detailed information would be given willingly to whoever might demand them for more knowledge.

Immediately after the legal action of the police authorities of the Albanian government on Tuesday, June 20, 2023, which took place in order to exercise the right of national sovereignty, the MEK, which considers itself beyond any law, and shares this experience with all the countries where it resides, has been active and entered into a series of propaganda and practical measures, some of which I would like to state based on what happened in the past with this organization in Iran, Iraq, France and even the USA.

It is necessary to point out the strong and urgent positions of the MEK against the Albanian government, and the propaganda controversy in this direction by spending huge costs and using all the capacities of lobbying and cover organizations, which have been prepared in advance. This requires the vigilance and timely action of the Albanian government to prevent it, which other governments have experienced in the past.

The MEK claimed that this legal action was taken at the request of Iran and described it as a “criminal and repressive attack” and “a barbaric and illegal action”, which was truly the inalienable right of the Albanian government. Albania has hosted this group for nearly a decade, while no other country was willing to accept it, and because of the presence and activities of this group, it found problems with Iran and became a victim of cyber-attacks, and finally cut ties with Iran and expelled diplomats and closed the Iranian embassy.

We remember that when the US Department of State put this group on the list of terrorist organizations, the same accusations were made against the US government and MEK published a 40 page booklet against the then US administration. Of course the European Union and the governments of the UK, France and Iraq were also accused of such false accusation, which happens any time a contrary action is taken.

As stated in the announcement of the National Council of Resistance (cover name for MEK), this happened in Ashraf Garrison in Iraq after the fall of Saddam Hussein’s dictatorship on two occasions in 2009 and 2015. The MEK showed the same behavior and forced people to throw themselves in front of the police vehicles and even attacked the Iraqi police with weapons and finally accused the then government of Iraq of colluding with Iran, because based on their cultic doctrine, they consider themselves above the law and have never considered themselves subject to the law in any country. Later, mass graves and large quantities of weapons were found in this garrison.

On June 17, 2003, Maryam Rajavi’s residence in Paris was searched by the French police and Maryam Rajavi and about 120 members of the MEK were arrested. Masoud Rajavi immediately ordered self-immolation, which took place in 10 European cities, resulting in two deaths. This cultic behavior was noticed by the observers at the time, and some media announced the danger that those who easily set themselves on fire are capable of committing any crime.

At the same time, the MEK launched a series of legalized activities with the support of propaganda events against the French government at the time, and created an atmosphere against the French government with noise and controversy in every way, as if they were oppressed and it was the French government who has wronged. The MEK accused the French government of colluding with the Iranian government. In this search, 9 million dollars in cash was discovered in Maryam Rajavi’s personal safe, which the MEK could never determine the origin of this money. This was a clear example of money laundering and violation of financial regulations. Also, documents were found in their computers that they had planned to assassinate their opponents. But what was advertised in the media was that the MEK was oppressed, which finally put pressure and influence on the judge of the case.

The experience of these years in different countries, from Iraq and France to Albania, shows that this organization will start the following measures and will vigorously advance them.

1. It will mobilize all its lobbies, especially in the USA, to put pressure on the Albanian government for violating human rights and colluding with the Iranian government, so that finally, the Albanian government will give special privileges to the MEK in order to get rid of the burden of these pressures.

2. By pretending to be oppressed, it mobilizes the supporters throughout the European Union, who are mostly former officials of the countries, and pretends that they express the opinions of their respective governments, and by this it tries to falsely show that the Albanian government is in complete international isolation.

3. Most of the parliamentary friendship groups and non-governmental organizations that have been prepared in the form of a cover in advance, which mostly do not have material existence, create atmosphere against the Albanian government and show that it seems that the public opinion of the world and especially the United States and Europe has been against the action of the Albanian government.

4. It mobilizes prominent and expensive legal lawyers by spending exorbitant expenses obtained from illegal incomes to take extensive legal measures at the same time as propaganda work, and for this reason, by taking time and energy from the government, it exerts more pressure.

5. It will bring in its secret lobbies, especially in the USA, which apparently do not support the MEK, and gives the feeling to the Albanian government that the general situation is against the government and it is necessary for it to retreat and give up its right to sovereignty, and accept the existence of another government in its country.

6. It becomes active in the form of other opposition groups, which in practice are nothing but cover organizations of the MEK, to show if it seems that other opponents of the Islamic Republic do not agree with this action of the Albanian government. Meanwhile, other opposition groups have repeatedly declared their disgust and hatred for this terrorist cult.

7. Employs an intense propaganda bombardment using elements in the media or from among mostly former political and religious figures that are attracted by deception or enticement, which may even take the form of holding rallies in front of Albanian embassies in other countries to influence the security and judicial authorities.

During its 42-year existence outside of Iran, the MEK has always established a parasitic relationship with the governments of the host countries, and tried to abuse them and place itself above the law, and if the relevant government has even a single dissenting opinion, they acted on blackmail and false advertising and started creating fake documents, and unfortunately, in most cases, they succeeded because the opposite parties did not use enough time and energy to study and understand and also deal with it.

Based on past experiences, the government of Albania should not become a prisoner of controversy, hooliganism and excesses of the MEK, and should not allow itself to be abused by an isolated terrorist cult and hated by the people of Iran and even the opponents of the Islamic Republic. It is necessary, now that there are enough experience and knowledge about the cultic tricks of the MEK, to implement the necessary measures and get the necessary preparations.

From the beginning of its establishment, the MEK has always used security issues as an excuse to advance its goals, both against its own members and against the host governments, in order to achieve its hegemonic intentions. This organization has always scared the other parties from security threats from Iran, and in this way, it has provided itself with an authority that if this authority is violated somewhere, then it will rise to confrontation and hostility.

The past of this organization is with me and others like me, which we would like to share with you to understand the performance of this organization better. I and those like me have spent many years of the best years of our lives with this organization and we know the labyrinth of its cultic behavior. Personally, after deep studies about mind control destructive cults and translating and authoring several books, I have mastered the depth of the hidden realities of this cult and its behavior and actions, and I would like to share these experiences to help benefit the families. I have studied and have been closely acquainted with the various internal angles of this organization.

Albania is now beyond Iraq and France in the past, in a historical situation, and the independence of this country’s action is in question, because the MEK based on past experiences in its propaganda for organizational use and victimization and getting rid of the burden of accusations, will try to tarnish the face of the Albanian government and introduce it against human rights and affiliated with the Iranian regime. Immediately, the MEK used expressions such as “Albanian Fascist Police”. From now on, the dagger of the MEK will always be at the side of the Albanian government and will create all kinds of obstacles for Albania’s membership in the European Union, and in this regard, it will question the independence of the Albanian government and will constantly accuse it of violating human rights.

The families and former members of this organization in the Nejat Society are worried about the condition of their loved ones who are trapped in the new slavery conditions in this organization and have nowhere to go. We are also worried that the responsible and intelligent actions of the Albanian government against an organization that threatens the sovereignty and interests of national security will cause this organization to introduce your government as anti-human rights and affiliated, the same thing it did in Iraq and France. The families expect that after the revelation of the cultic nature of the MEK in the events of June 20, 2023, measures will be taken to enable them to communicate with their loved ones after decades and to be able to travel to Albania.

It is quite clear to us that these measures have already started with full intensity, and therefore the Albanian government should not lose the opportunity and initiative and should use all its available capacities, especially in the European Union, to deal with these tricks of the Rajavi Cult.

In repeated letters and messages, I have notified the Albanian statesmen and tried to express the performance of this organization to the extent that it abuses the hospitality of the host country. All the descriptions that I had presented about this organization were observed and proved in action on June 20, 2023. My advice is that you should be aware of the poisonous bites of this spotted snake and don’t leave the scene due to lack of understanding of the cultic nature and performance of the MEK. This is not the end of the case, but the case has just begun, and the Albanian government must take the next steps more firmly and intelligently to reach the final goal.

Now you can clearly see that within a few hours after the incident, statements were published by the MEK propaganda media, which were completely false. This flow will not stop and the MEK will intensify its war with the Albanian government day by day. My advice is to try to keep the problem under control and do not underestimate the cultic tricks of the MEK and be alert and use all your capacities.

What the Albanian government wants is the implementation of the law and the exercise of national sovereignty. However, Masoud Rajavi considers himself beyond any law and has repeatedly emphasized that he needs the blood of his followers for the survival of his organization. This organization has brainwashed people who easily expose themselves to physical harm on the orders of the leaders so as to appear oppressed and inject blood into the body of the organization, of which the self-immolations of 2003 in Europe are an example.

The rational behavior of the Albanian government against Rajavi’s terrorist cult gives satisfaction to the families and awakened human consciences, but this is only the beginning of the way and a serious test for the Albanian government, whether it will lead to the final goal, which is to open the doors of the Manëz camp, or withdraws and accepts the rule of another government in its country.

The families hope that their loved ones trapped in the MEK camp will find their way to the free world and be in touch with their families. Cult members are the first victims of it because they are under mind control and do not have will and power of their own and cannot act independently and need help from outside. They can achieve self-awareness and independence when they get out of the mental and physical domination of the organization, and this is possible only by the Albanian government and with the help of their families. Even years after the separation, these people are still in fear of the threats of the cult leaders, which are falsely implanted in their minds.

An organization with a cult mentality captures the soul and conscience of a person, and therefore any irrational behavior of a captive person in the cult will not be unlikely, even if it ends up at the cost of his own life and that of others. For this reason, most terrorist organizations have internal cultic relations. A cult member cannot be expected to behave like a mature rational person. This can be seen in the released videos of Tuesday’s events that we are not dealing with normal people. We are witnessing the uniform and illogical behavior of people who do not have rationality and independent will in a mass and organized manner. The formation of a human shield against the normal action of the police to prevent them from doing their duty is one example. This is the same dangerous phenomenon that scientists introduce it as the main threat of the third millennium.

My practical suggestion in Albania, to clarify the issues and remove the propaganda tactic of the MEK, is that the main leaders of the organization who are engaged in security and cyber measures, whose names I can provide, should be questioned and held accountable. Also, about 200 members of the organization, even in the high ranks, have problems and want to separate. Revealed documents, maps and information provided by former members will definitely help you in managing the problem. You will get many hidden facts by summoning key people.

In previous letters addressed to the Albanian statesmen, I mentioned many times that these people came to Albania from Iraq with fake names, because some of them committed crimes in Iran, or in Iraq in collaboration with Saddam Hussein’s regime, against the people of Iraq, especially the Kurds in the north, or even against their own members. Some were wanted by the Iraqi judicial authorities and had an arrest warrant. Among these people is Abdol-Vahab Farajinejad Jahormi, with the fake name of Ali Mostashari, who was killed in these cases, and of course, he has all these three categories of crimes in his record.

In the end, I would like to thank the esteemed government of the Republic of Albania on behalf of the bereaved and long-awaited families for the responsible action that is approved by the true defenders of human rights and social security, and once again announce the readiness of myself and other former members of the MEK to help and provide information in person or by communication in order to manage this case by the government of Albania.

Respects
Ebrahim Khodabandeh
CEO of Najat Society
June 21, 2023

Copy to:
Members of the Supreme National Security Council of Albania
Media

June 22, 2023 0 comments

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