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PM Rama warns to expel MKO if it uses Albania soil for war against Iran

Albania’s Prime Minister Edi Rama says the Mujahedin-e-Khalq Organization (MKO) must leave the country if it wants to use Albanian soil to fight against Iran.

“We have had MEK in our country for several years. They are welcome but on the condition that they do not use Albania as a platform for their political operations. Our Iranian guests have repeatedly violated this agreement “, said Rama in an interview in the German media “Der Spiegel”. He added that Albania has no intention of being at war with the Iranian regime as he commented on the action of the Albanian police last week in the MEK camp.

Massoud Khodabandeh, The MEK former member and Olsi Jazexhi, historian and social activist explain more on the issue:

to download the video file click here

July 9, 2023 0 comments

Albania

Albania turns on dissident Iranian group

Albania no longer appears willing to host a cult-like Iranian dissident group it has sheltered since 2014.
On June 20, Albanian authorities raided Ashraf-3, the compound outside of Tirana home to 3,000 Iranian opposition fighters for the Mujahedin-e-Khalq (MEK). The MEK relocated from Iraq to Albania as part of a 2014 deal brokered by the United States, but Albania has accused it of violating the terms of the agreement.

“MEK has not respected the 2014 agreement,” said the Albanian interior ministry after the raid. While the MEK was “settled in Albania for humanitarian purposes alone,” the ministry said, “unfortunately, this group has not adhered to these commitments, breaching the agreement.”

The MEK said that one of its members was killed in the raid while many more were injured, but Albanian interior minister Bledi Çuçi said, “I guarantee you that the death of the person in the compound was not caused by the state police.”
“Albania has no intention of being at war with the Iranian regime. Albania does not accept anyone who has abused our hospitality,” said prime minister Edi Rama, referencing the MEK’s continuation of “political operations” from Albania.

Cult or freedom fighters?

The MEK originated as an Islamist-Marxist militia founded in opposition to the US-backed Shah of Iran. It played a major role in the I979 revolution before falling out with the newly-established Islamic Republic led by Ayatollah Khomeini and joining forces with Iraqi dictator Saddam Hussein against Iran in the bloody Iran-Iraq War. Its bombing attacks within Iran have killed numerous officials as well as a president and prime minister, and Americans have been killed by its attacks.
“It is no exaggeration to say that perhaps nothing unites Iranians today more than opposition to the MEK and their agenda,” said Iranian historian Arash Azizi. “Not only are they not popular amongst Iranians, they are despised and hated by Iranians across the political spectrum.”
While in exile in Iraq, there were numerous reports of torture, sexual abuse, and medical sterilisation of members within its Camp Ashraf compound as its leaders—Massoud and Maryam Rajavi—developed a cult of personality.

The MEK was designated as a terrorist group by the United Kingdom until 2008, by the European Union until 2009, and by the United States until 2012 but has since built an incredibly successful lobbying network in Western capitals that it uses to push for regime change in Iran.
It counts Rudy Giuliani—a US politician turned personal lawyer to former US president Donald Trump—and Trump’s national security adviser John Bolton among its paid speakers and former Slovenian prime minister Janez Janša as one of its staunchest supporters in calling for regime change in Iran.
On July 1, former UK prime minister Liz Truss and former US vice-president and possible presidential candidate Mike Pence spoke at high-profile MEK conference in France.

Geopolitical context

The MEK’s relocation to Albania—a member of the North Atlantic Treaty Organisation (NATO)—came after attacks on their camp in Iraq by pro-Tehran militias, and Tehran responded to the relocation agreement with fury towards Tirana.

In 2022, multiple cyberattacks attributed to Tehran targeted Albanian government websites.
Some 95 per cent of government services in Albania are provided online. After a cyberattack forced the government to suspend daily operations as websites used for everything from paying utilities to obtaining driver’s licenses went down, Rama severed diplomatic relations with Iran and considered invoking NATO’s Article Five. Article Five obligates a collective response from the alliance if any member is attacked and has only been triggered once—by the US after the September 11 terrorist attacks.
“It’s like bombing a country,” said Rama of the cyber strike. Ultimately, however, it became clear that many NATO allies did not want to be dragged into a confrontation with Iran, and Tirana abstained from invoking Article Five.

Now, however, new talks for an informal agreement to limit Iran’s nuclear programme are underway between Western and Iranian officials, and Europeans and the Biden Administration alike are looking to lower tensions with Tehran.

Although the July 1 gathering in France eventually went ahead, the MEK was initially denied permission to hold it by French authorities. While it is unlikely that Tehran will be able to secure the extradition of MEK members, Iranian officials welcomed news of the raid in Albania, with a spokesperson for its foreign ministry saying, “We hope the Albanian government will take the practical and responsible step against the group of the hypocrites.”

The moment presents Tirana with the opportunity to de-escalate tensions with Tehran and potentially stave off more cyberattacks.
“Our country is used as a trench in a war that is not ours, it does not work!” said Rama. “Of course, they [the MEK] have every right to fight for their freedom, but to do so they must leave Albania.”

By Devin Haas – Emerging Europe

July 8, 2023 0 comments

Iran

Iran condemns MEK rally in France as support for ‘terrorism’

Tehran blasts Paris for allowing meeting and protest by dissident group and thanks Albania after raid on what Iran considers a ‘terrorist’ organisation.

Tehran, Iran – Iran has lashed out against France for allowing a meeting and rally by the blacklisted Mojahedin-e Khalq (MEK), or People’s Mujahidin Organization, which Tehran says amounts to support for “terrorism”.

French officials need to “make up for their past mistakes” in backing the “murderers of Iranian people” and focus on the country’s “deep internal crisis” and discriminatory behaviour against its own citizens, Iranian foreign ministry spokesman Nasser Kanani said in a statement late on Sunday.

Kanani was referring to nearly a week of violence and unrest in the European nation since the killing of a teenager by a French police officer.

“Instead, they create the grounds for a rally of terrorists whose drumbeat of ignominy in Albania was recently heard by the whole world,” he said, warning Paris of “political and legal” ramifications if it continues to accommodate the dissident group.

The MEK’s main camp in Albania, which is home to several thousand members, was raided by security police last month after a court order was issued to investigate unsanctioned political activities that went against a 2014 United States-brokered agreement that allowed its members to reside in the West Balkans nation.

The group said one of its members died, which Albanian police denied was a result of the raid, and electronics were confiscated. Albanian Prime Minister Edi Rama said the group cannot use the country to fight the establishment in Iran, which the MEK has said it aims to overthrow.

The organisation, based on Islamic and socialist ideology, used to be on the US and European Union “terrorist” list before being delisted more than a decade ago. Experts have said it operates like a “cult”.

At the weekend, it held a meeting on the outskirts of Paris as a group of its supporters rallied inside the city.

Former US Vice President Mike Pence, who is running in the 2024 presidential election, and short-time former United Kingdom Prime Minister Liz Truss addressed the MEK gathering outside Paris.

Pence said the “Iranian regime has never been weaker than it is today” after protests that erupted in September and presented the MEK as an alternative, according to media reports.

Pence, one of many senior US politicians who have supported the dissident group over the years, also met MEK leader Maryam Rajavi in Albania last year.

To download the video file click here

Tehran, which has blacklisted the group, has also sanctioned a number of US officials for their support of the MEK.

Truss was quoted as saying: “Now is the time to turn our backs on accommodation and appeasement” as “authoritarian” governments rise across the world, including in Iran.

France had briefly drawn the ire of the MEK last month when it banned the group’s rally due to potential tensions with other Iranian factions and the risk of an armed attack.

But a Paris court overturned the ban last week, allowing members to congregate in Place Vauban in the French capital.

Relations between Iran and Albania remain strained after Tirana cut diplomatic ties with Tehran with US and EU support after accusing it of a major cyberattack. Iran denies the allegation.

But in a statement on Sunday, the Iranian intelligence ministry thanked the Albanian government for “confronting terrorists” with its raid on the MEK camp, something it called a “step forward”. The ministry said it continues to be in contact with European intelligence services to warn them of MEK operations.

The intelligence ministry also announced that several MEK members were recently arrested inside Iran over alleged plans to attack state and public property using homemade grenades and explosives.

On Sunday, a report by Iranian state television reiterated Tehran’s claim that Paris supported “riots” in Iran that began in September. It accused the French government of gathering information through its embassy in Tehran, sending in “spies” who were arrested, conducting high-level meetings with Iranian dissidents and hosting gatherings and members of the MEK.

By Maziar Motamedi – Aljazeera.com

July 8, 2023 0 comments

Albania

Albania’s measures against MKO terror cult

Albania has threatened to expel the MKO terror group if it uses the country’s soil for anti-Iran operations.

The Scandinavian country has also warned the terror group no to abuse its hospitality, saying Tirana does NOT want to be engaged in a war that has nothing to do with Albania.

to download the video file click here

July 4, 2023 0 comments

Iran

Iran receives hard drives seized from MKO camp in Albania: Official

Iran has gained access to a batch of electronic devices and storage equipment confiscated during a recent search operation conducted by Albanian police at a camp belonging to the Mujahedin-e-Khalq terrorist organization (MKO), an Iranian government official has said.

Sepehr Khalaji, the head of the Iranian government’s information council, tweeted on Monday that a shipment containing hard drives and computer cases belonging to the MKO had arrived in Iran.

Iranian experts are currently engaged in data retrieval from these devices and identifying the terrorist group’s connections and sabotage cells, he added.

“The results have been promising so far,” the official said.

The MKO has carried out numerous terrorist attacks against Iranian civilians and government officials since the victory of the Islamic Revolution in 1979. Out of the nearly 17,000 Iranians killed in terrorist attacks over the past four decades, about 12,000 have fallen victim to the MKO’s acts of terror.

Albanian police forces entered the MKO camp, known as Ashraf-3, in the northwestern region of the capital, Tirana, on June 20 due to its engagement in “terror and cyber attacks” against foreign institutions.

Authorities seized 150 computer devices linked to terrorist activities. At least one person was killed and dozens of others were injured during the clashes at the camp.

More than a week later, police in Albania entered the Ashraf-3 camp again and security forces were deployed at the entrance to the camp and controlled all vehicles leaving the site.

In a statement issued on Sunday, Iran’s Intelligence Ministry said it is seriously pursuing terrorists beyond the country’s borders, following a string of successful operations that led to the arrest of individuals affiliated with the MKO.

The statement said that the intelligence ministry has consistently warned European intelligence and security services about the MKO’s ongoing terrorist activities, particularly from their main base in Albania and other Western countries.

The Albanian prime minister says the MKO group must leave Tirana if it wants to use the country
In an interview with the German magazine Der Spiegel published on Friday, Albania’s Prime Minister Edi Rama also said that the MKO members must leave the country if the group wants to use Albanian soil to fight against Iran.

July 4, 2023 0 comments

Albania

Iranian protesters urge Albania to close down camp hosting MKO terrorists

Dozens of Iranian protesters and relatives of members of the terrorist Mujahedin Khalq Organization (MKO) have called upon Albanian authorities to shut down a camp that hosts anti-Iran elements and make preparation for the repatriation of their family members.

Demonstrators and members of the independent civil society organization Nejat Society converged outside the Turkish embassy in downtown Tehran, which represents Albania’s interests in the Islamic Republic, and appreciated the latest raids by Albanian police forces on the Ashraf-3 camp in the northwest of the capital Tirana.

They underlined that the camp serves as a place, where malicious plots and cyber attacks are being orchestrated, and various forms of money laundering and human rights abuse are being carried out.

Iranian protesters and relatives of members of the terrorist Mujahedin Khalq Organization (MKO) take part in a protest outside the Turkish embassy in Tehran, which represents Albania’s interests in the Islamic Republic, on June 30, 2023. (Photo by Tasnim news agency)

The protesters released a communiqué during the gathering, asking Albanian authorities to shut down the camp and put the notorious ringleaders of the MKO terrorist cult on trial.

The relatives of MKO members also urged the Albanian government not to allow leaders of the cult to use their loved ones as human shields against security forces.

They also asked Albanian officials not to fall into the psychological warfare trap of the MKO and let the terrorists abuse them, as the cult is enormously hated by the entire Iranian nation and even opponents of the Islamic establishment.

“After seven years of supporting the MKO, the Albanian government came to realize that its national security is more significant than anything else,” Ebrahim Khodabandeh, the head of Nejat Society, said at the gathering.

He stated that families of MKO members are calling on Albanian officials to let them visit the Southeastern European country and meet with their loved ones, and to secure their release from the camp.
Albanian police forces raided the Ashraf-3 camp on Thursday morning, more than a week after they stormed the same place over indications of cyber attacks against foreign institutions being orchestrated there.

According to Albanian Daily News, security forces were deployed at the entrance to the camp accommodating MKO members, and controlled all vehicles leaving the site.

The Albania police takes control of the MEK Camp Ashraf 3

On June 20, Albanian authorities raided the camp to seize 150 computer devices linked to terrorist activities.

Albanian Interior Minister Bledi Cuci and the head of the national police, Muhamet Rrumbullaku, said both police officers and MKO terrorists were injured during the raid.

Police in Albania have raided a camp home to the anti-Iran terrorist cult of the Mujahedin-e-Khalq Organization (MKO).
Reports suggest that the MKO member killed in the raid was a high-profile commander of the terrorist group named Abdolvahhab Faraji. He was said to be an expert in military engineering operations, and was apparently in charge of technical and engineering activities during an anti-Iran operation by MKO terrorists in July 1988.

Sources have reported that a number of other MKO terrorists are in critical condition after the raid.

MKO members spent many years in Iraq, where they were hosted and armed by the former Iraqi dictator Saddam Hussein. They sided with Saddam during the 1980-88 war against Iran and then helped him quell uprisings in various parts of the Arab country.

Albania started hosting the terrorists after the group was shunned by the government of former Iraqi prime minister Nouri al-Maliki.
Albanian officials have charged six MKO terrorists over violent clashes with police.
The European country is estimated to have been accommodating some 3,000 members of the terror cult since 2016.

The European Union, Canada, the United States, and Japan had previously listed the MKO as a “terrorist organization”.

In 2012, the group was taken off the US list of terrorist organizations. The EU followed suit, removing the group from its list of terrorist organizations.

The MKO has carried out numerous terrorist attacks against Iranian civilians and government officials over the past decades, killing nearly 17,000 Iranians.

The group throws lavish conferences every year in Paris, with certain American and other Western officials in attendance as guests of honor.

July 3, 2023 0 comments

Albania

The MEK should leave Albania

Prime Minister Edi Rama has reacted for the first time to the action of the State Police in the mujahedin camp a few weeks ago by order of the GJKKO. In an interview with the German media, Der Spiegel, he said that the Mujahideen cannot use Albania to fight against the Iranian regime.

SPIEGEL : Mr. Rama, last week the security forces near Tirana carried out an operation in the Iranian MEK camp. Why?

Rama: We have had the MEK in our country for several years. They are welcome, but on the condition that they do not use Albania as a platform for their political operations. Our Iranian guests have repeatedly violated this agreement.

SPIEGEL: Government computers in Tehran have been hacked and sensitive documents circulated. About 100 PCs and dozens of hard drives are said to have been confiscated now. Can you confirm this?

Rama : Albania has no intention of being at war with the Iranian regime. Albania does not accept anyone who has abused our hospitality.

Spiegel: Why did you agree to the request of US President Barack Obama in 2016 to accept thousands of Mujahideen?

Rama: It was a life-saving operation. We opened our doors because the group, then operating from Iraq, was systematically followed. And if a friend like the US asks us for something, we feel honored.

SPIEGEL : If you were MEK, would you prefer to leave?

Rama: We understand the anger against the regime in their country. But our country is used as a trench in a war that is not ours, it does not work! Of course, they have every right to fight for their freedom, but to do so they must leave Albania.

Control in the MEK camp

On June 20, 2023, by order of SPAK also signed by GJKKO, the state police undertook the control action in the Ashraf 3 camp, in Manzë, where nearly 2500 members of the MEK organization, the mujahedin of the Iranian people, are housed. The controls were undertaken due to an investigation launched into cyber attacks against the Islamic Republic of Iran at different periods of time as well as against the institutions of the Iranian state. During the search, the police encountered resistance and confrontation with MEK members. 15 policemen were injured and several members of the camp, while a 78-year-old man lost his life. The Mujahideen said that his death was caused by the police, but they denied that they used violence. The Durrës Prosecutor’s Office is waiting for the autopsy and the response to the toxicological tests.

In the investigation for war provocation

During the control, numerous computer equipment were found in 17 buildings, which were seized. SPAK’s investigations against members of the MEK organization in Albania have started since May 18, 2023 for the criminal offenses “provocation of war”, “illegal interception of computer data”, “interference with computer data”, “misuse of equipment

DASH and American Ambassador Yuri Kim also supported the actions of the police in Camp Ashraf 3. On June 21, Ambassador Kim said that guests of a country must respect the established rules and that it was within Albania’s right to decide whether to expel them or not.

On June 23, Defense Minister Niko Peleshi declared that the creation of islands where laws would be violated would not be tolerated. Meanwhile, the police control the entrances and exits to the Mujahideen camp.

The Albanian Shqiptarja.com – translated by Nejat Society

July 2, 2023 0 comments

Albania

Rama warns the Mujahideen to leave Albania

Prime Minister Edi Rama has warned the Mujahideen that they must leave Albania if they use our country to fight against the Iranian regime.

He added that Albania has no intention of being at war with the Iranian regime as he commented on the action of the Albanian police last week in the MEK camp.

” It was a life-saving operation. We opened our doors because the group, then operating from Iraq, was systematically followed. And if a friend like the US asks us for something, we feel honored.” , adds the head of government.

Politiko.al

July 1, 2023 0 comments

Albania

Rama on Mujahedin: They cannot use Albania as a trench of their war

Prime Minister Edi Rama has spoken for the first time about the Iranian MEK opposition since the police operation in Camp Ashraf 3 in Manzë.

In an interview with the German media Der Spiegel, Rama stated that they are welcome, but on the condition that they do not use Albania as a platform for their political operations.

According to Rama, the Iranian guests have repeatedly violated this agreement, but they will not be allowed to use Albania as a trench of their war.

“We understand the anger against the regime in their country. But our country is used as a trench in a war that is not ours, it does not work! Of course, they have every right to fight for their freedom, but to do this they must leave Albania”, said Rama to the German media.

By Nen Si – Euronews.Albania

July 1, 2023 0 comments

Albania

If want war, run away from Albania; Rama warns the Mujahideen

Prime Minister Edi Rama has warned that the Mujahideen must leave Albania if they use our country to fight against the Iranian regime. The head of the government gave an interview to the German newspaper, Der Spiegel, where he said that the Iranians have repeatedly violated the agreement.

The head of the government says that Albania has no intention of being at war with the Iranian regime and that it does not accept anyone who has abused our hospitality.

“It was a life-saving operation. We opened our doors because the group, then operating from Iraq, was systematically followed. And if a friend like the US asks us for something, we feel honored. We understand the anger against the regime in their country. But our country is used as a trench in a war that is not ours, it does not work! Of course, they have every right to fight for their freedom, but to do this they must leave Albania,” added the head of the government.

The Prime Minister’s interview comes a few days after the State Police, by decision of the Special Court, conducted a search in the premises of the MEK camp in Manez.

Durreslajm.al – Translated by Nejat Society

July 1, 2023 0 comments

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