Ebrahim Khodabande

Double Standards of the Albanian Prime Minister

According to the recently published article by Andrew Higgins of the New York Times, titled “A NATO Minnow Reels from Cyberattacks Linked to Iran”, published on February 25th, 2023, Edi Rama the prime Minister of Albania has assured the Albanian nation and the international community that no political activities are done in the headquarters of the Mujahedin Khalq (MEK/ PMOI).

It is unlikely that the honorable Prime Minister is so unaware of the affairs inside his own country that he is nit able to know that not only political actions are taken by the MEK but also it commits all types of crimes and illegitimate acts in Albania and in response no one in the government expresses concern or sorrow.
The increasing dissatisfaction of the Albanian nation and the entire European Union regarding the presence of the Cult of Rajavi in the European territory, as well as the hatred of the Iranian people and Iranian opposition groups towards the MEK, is undeniable. Also, the fact that the MEK violates the most basic rights of its own members has become a serious problem for the Albanian government.

On the one side, Albania wants to distance itself from Maryam Rajavi and her notorious group in order to get closer to the EU. On the other side, it can not neglect the financial aids by Saudi Arabia and the intelligence and propaganda aid by Israel. The two governments that currently support the MEK.
Mr. Edi Rama should be asked that the news of Maryam Rajavi’s meeting with British Parliamentarians and his recent expression of support for the Iranian revolution which was published on the MEK’s website was considered “agricultural activity”?

By Ebrahim Khodabandeh

The NYTimes article:

A NATO Minnow Reels from Cyberattacks Linked to Iran
By Andrew Higgins
Published Feb. 25, 2023

A NATO Minnow Reels from Cyberattacks Linked to Iran
Albania has been the target of repeated digital assaults believed to be linked to its sheltering of an Iranian dissident group on its soil.

The Albanian government has resisted succumbing to blackmail and has refused to evict M.E.K. Doing that, Mr. Rama said, would be “the biggest shame” for a country with a long history of sheltering refugees nobody else wants, including thousands of Afghans in 2021.

But he complained that M.E.K. were “not easy people, frankly,” and that the group had violated an agreement that it would refrain from using Albania as “a safe haven to make political activity against the Iranian regime.”
Instead, the group has organized high-profile events in Albania aimed at rallying opposition to Tehran, including an annual gathering called the Free Iran World Summit, whose paid speakers have included prominent American supporters like Rudolph W. Giuliani, a former New York mayor and a onetime personal lawyer to former President Donald J. Trump.

The Iranian dissidents, Mr. Rama said, have “friends on Capitol Hill that lobby for them” but have now been ordered to halt public activities against Iran. M.E.K. canceled the Free Iran event last year. “There is no more of this now,” the prime minister said. “We hope that they will not try again because it is not beneficial to this country and they have to accept that.”

The NCR article:

Renowned British Lawmakers Visit Ashraf 3, Support Iran’s Resistance and Revolution
Written by Shamsi Saadati
1st March 2023

March 4, 2023 0 comment

Albania

Would there be a change in the circumstances of Albania?

written by Nejat Society

Introduction:
Hacking the Albania’s government systems on several occasions last summer and Iran being accused in this regard and the widespread propaganda against Iran, the disclosure of documents obtained from the hacks, which the public prosecutor of Albania declared prohibited, widespread poverty among the people and increasing corruption in the judicial system and the government of this country (including security and police), which wants to join the European Union, the protests and unrest of the last several months in Albania, the prospect of the opposition winning the upcoming elections, and the lack of full support of US and NATO from Albania changed the conditions of this country this year in such a way that Edi Rama’s government became closer and even totally dependent on Israel and Saudi Arabia, both of which are supporters of the MEK.

It seems that despite the fact that the meeting of the MEK was canceled last summer due to the intervention of the American embassy, and the State Department of the US government publicly opposed this group, the MEK has expanded its place due to the influence of the United States, money of Saudi and UAE, and propaganda machine of Israeli. MEK gained much more freedom of action in this poor and mafia-based country, especially in Durres province, where the MEK is very active politically, financially and by propaganda.

Some observations:

Albania has been seeking to enter the European Union for a long time, and in this regard, there is a consensus among all parties, despite their conflicts, and no one in Albania is against this. On the other hand, the European Union must evaluate and confirm the eligibility of this country to be a member of this union, and many delegations, commissions and personalities have been responsible for this task, and high-level officials of the European Union and various delegations have made many trips to Albania.

Among other things, on December 2, 2022, the President of Germany visited Albania. On December 6, a number of European Prime Ministers and Presidents attended a summit in Albania, on December 7 the Prime Minister of Greece visited Albania (Greece is important to Albania as an EU member neighbor).
On the other hand, it seems that the European Union, which did not go along with the US in some international issues, is compromising and giving concessions to Iran after failing in the recent unrest. England, which is no longer a member of the European Union and is considered US’s closest ally, dismissed the Iran International TV channel (against IRI) based in London and forced them to go to Washington.
In addition to corruption in the government and the judicial, security and law enforcement systems of Albania, one of the topics discussed is the presence of the terrorist organization of the MEK in this country, which was transferred to an isolated and remote camp during the administration of Donald Trump and is free to carry out Illegal acts, and even violation of the basic human rights of the members.

An internal report:

What is significant in the current situation is an internal report of the Albanian government that has been made available to EU officials. In part of this report, it is stated:
“After the Munich conference, Prime Minister Rama is trying to assess the real importance of the MEK. He is not sure that Maryam Rajavi is of great importance, because no one from the MEK was invited to that conference. While the heir to the throne of Iran was invited to that conference and held a press meeting at the conference. French President Macron, who was the former host of Maryam Rajavi, never agreed to meet her and even Maryam Rajavi’s asylum status in France was canceled, but He met with Masoume Alinejad and other figures of the opposition of the Islamic Republic of Iran. Prime Minister Rama will definitely take some steps to distance himself from Maryam Rajavi, of course, without burning the bridges behind him.”

Following this report, a source from within the Albanian judicial system predicted: “There is a possibility that Musa Jabrifar (Ashkan) will be released from prison for humanitarian reasons and all claims against him will be withdrawn. I think tomorrow or the day after tomorrow he may be at home under a restraining order (Ashkan was released two days after the date of this prediction). If that happens, it is possible that the Iranians of Karrec Camp will be released as well. We will have to wait and see if that happens. Will they be released before the Iranian New Year or not?”

Summary of reports and data:

Other reports have been received from various sources in Albania, which can be summarized as follows:
1. MEK is strengthening its influence in various ranks of important Albanian institutions, such as the state police (especially the counter-terrorism department), which tries to create legal problems for former members not with the organization, and any legal basis for sending them to prison.

2. Police officials and prosecutors and judges are tired of the MEK and their letters of protest and their continuous fake information about Iran’s spy rings and Iran’s terrorist efforts with the help of former members in Albania, but because they received good sums. They do not immediately deny such claims. They play with time and justify that it takes time to investigate such information and complex cases, and they need more facts and evidence.

3. The MEK constantly delivers fake information to the Albanian authorities under the title of Security and Anti-Terrorism Commission of the National Council of Resistance to prove that the former members are engaged in espionage and terrorist activities against them. Most of this information is considered unimportant.

4. MEK is strengthening their relations with the Durres City Council (the mayor and other managers and members of the city council). They use Israeli and Abu Dhabi diplomats and entrepreneurs, as well as the Jones International Company owned by a retired American 4-star general. Jones himself is in contact with Durres City Council as an intermediary.

5. MEK uses a soft method to infiltrate the local community:
First. Inviting selected groups of people from the city of Manëz to enter the camp for reception. They donate prescription glasses not only to the residents of Manëz administrative unit, but also to other areas of Durres municipality.
Second. The MEK is doing a lot of advertising for the residents of Manëz to convince them that with the cooperation of the Albanian government, the MEK and the Durres Municipality, they are investing in the Manëz region and also receiving financial aid from friendly Arab countries (investment in construction such as: asphalting roads, upgrading the local power grid, installing new trash cans, etc.).
Third. They even tell the people that the reconstruction of houses damaged and destroyed by the November 2019 earthquake in Manëz is being done faster than other regions of Albania thanks to the intervention of the MEK among the Albanian authorities.

6. The MEK has given some of its members a one-year residence permit by the border police and immigration of Albania, but they keep the documents with themselves. The MEK has set up small businesses using Albanian citizens as cover (even money exchanges). The elected commanders of the MEK are conducting the driver’s license test to obtain an Albanian driver’s license.

7. The MEK donates aid packages to 120 families (generally in Manëz city) every month. The package is nothing big (15 kilos of flour, sugar, rice, cooking oil, can of cheap sardines, cheap macaroni, biscuits, 1.5-liter bottle of Albanian cola, etc.) and the price of each package is no more than 20 euros. However, such moves have allowed the MEK to have their circle of informers among the local population.

8. The MEK is strengthening its ties with high-ranking Albanian politicians, both from the opposition and from Edi Rama’s party. In May, we have local elections in Albania, where the opposition has a high chance. MEK is in contact with the current mayor of Durres (she will run again) as well as with someone from the opposition who will challenge her.

9. MEK pays a lot of money to media owners (tens of thousands of dollars) to prevent the publication of any positive news about ASILA, especially the hunger strike that happened in the refugee camp in Karrec. This help is also given on the condition that such media, publish negative advertisements about Iran as much as possible.

Based on evidence and reports, it can be concluded that in the near future we will see changes in the conditions of Albania.

February 25, 2023 0 comment

Mujahedin Khalq Organization's Propaganda System

300 Fake MEK-Facebook Accounts Tip of the Iceberg

written by Nejat Society

Removing 300 fake MEK accounts after so long is only one percent of the actual amount of this type of account

Associated Press (AP News) reported on April 7, 2021 that Facebook has removed about 300 Mojahedin-e Khalq (MEK) linked fake accounts run from Albania.

https://apnews.com/article/europe-albania-iran-media-misinformation-8afcd143546fada00b88ff09ac810b31?fbclid=IwAR2F_i3EebAhavZjH5F6fPtOUvXzoUTnjoTE7Gl_3Jv-rWIC5dsfusZQNEc

The news was widely reported in the international media.

Link to the detailed report by Facebook (PDF)

However, it should be noted that according to information obtained from a large number of former members of the Rajavi cult in Albania, which has been reflected in international media in the past couple of years, the MEK cyber unit or troll farm in this country contains 1,500 people, each with about 20 fake accounts in cyberspace which target the peace and security of Iranian society.

The followers of this destructive mind control cult, who are in fact modern slaves, are engaged in producing and spreading rumours and posting misinformation from various accounts against the national interests of the Iranian people all day long, like robots, based on a specific schedule.

Removing 300 fake MEK accounts, after so many years, constitutes only one percent of the actual amount of this type of account operating from Albania.

Last year, on April 22, 2020, The Intercept reported on a fake identity created by the MEK in Albania called “Heshmat Alavi” whose misinformation was quoted by Donald Trump as well as Mike Pompeo against Iran.
https://theintercept.com/2020/04/22/trump-heshmat-alavi-twitter-mek/

The Intercept also reported on June 9, 2019 that Alavi is a composite identity run by a team of MEK members based mainly at the group’s compound in Albania, according to defectors who were involved with managing the account and other sources. The article says:

“Alavi’s articles also mixed criticisms of Iran and U.S. policy with overt advocacy for the MEK. His pieces in the Daily Caller, The Hill, and other outlets — though less numerous than his contributions to Forbes — employed a similar mix of advocacy against the Iranian regime and praise for the MEK. Though the MEK is known to be widely loathed among Iranians, Alavi described the group as the “main Iranian opposition group” in a 2017 Daily Caller article.”

https://theintercept.com/2019/06/09/heshmat-alavi-fake-iran-mek/

Aljazeera News, wrote on June 15, 2019 in an article titled ‘US-Iran debates: Fake writers and state-funded trolling’ that:

“As the Trump administration continues with its hawkish talk on Iran, we need to look at how that story is being crafted and by whom: Heshmat Alavi was once cited by the White House as a credible commentator on Iran. Shame he doesn’t exist. It turns out he is a fictional persona reportedly created by the Mujahedin-e-Khalq (MEK), a shadowy group opposed to the Iranian government and supported by Washington.”

In this regards The American Conservative in a lengthy article titled ‘Another Opinion Columnist Pushing War with Iran Who Doesn’t Actually Exist’ wrote about this matter on Sep 2, 2020, emphasizing that:

“The list of MEK disinformation tactics also includes fake online since-deleted sites such as PersiaNow and ArabEye and questionable sites such as Iran Focus whose domain was formerly registered under the name of an NCRI spokesperson and is now anonymously held.”

“MEK’s recent influence campaign on Facebook spearheaded by the National Council of Resistance of Iran (NCRI) was recently reported on last year by Lachlan Markey at the Daily Beast. Markey explained how NCRI lobbyist Soheila Aligholi Mayelzadeh has helped place paid ads on Facebook reaching between 500,000 to 1.4 million users as part of the campaign to sway US public opinion in favor of MEK and intervention in Iran.”

“The list of outright fakes recently in the realm of foreign policy analysis is significant: there is the apparent Emirati fabrication Raphael Badani to MEK sock puppet Alavi, first revealed by The Intercept, to deep fake non-existent anti-Palestinian activist Oliver Taylor, whose work was placed at highly-respected publications in the United States and Israel.”

The American Conservative also wrote on January 6, 202I in an article titled ‘Rejecting Regime Change for Good’ that:

“The U.S. government doesn’t understand the countries in question, it relies on bad information that is frequently offered to them by self-serving exiles and activists, and it doesn’t know how to do state-and-institution-building on such a large scale in any case. The U.S. has expended vast resources for decades on some of these policies with remarkably little to show for it, so it is laughable to think that the problem is insufficient resources. There are things that are simply beyond our government’s power. The answer is not to do regime change on the cheap, as the U.S. tried in Libya, but to reject regime change.”

The Independent wrote on June 11, 2019 under the title ‘Heshmat Alavi Gate’ (Trump and MEK):
“The Heshmat Alavi persona had a strong presence on Twitter and harassed Iranian journalists, academics, and activists who are critical of the Mujahedin-e-Khalq organisation, a one-time armed guerilla group now holed up in Albania. There is no known link between the Iran Disinfo programme and the fake persona. At least one was cited by the Trump administration as proof against the effectiveness of the Obama-era nuclear deal. Some of the MEK articles were also picked up by US government funded Voice of America’s Persian-language service.”

https://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/americas/us-politics/us-iran-congress-meeting-money-trump-conflict-a8954191.html

April 10, 2021 0 comment

Mujahedin Khalq Organization as a terrorist group

Collusion Against Ehsan Bidi . Corrupt Albanian Officials And MEK

written by Nejat Society

Collaboration between Corrupt elements in Albania’s government and the Rajavi Cult against former members and Ehsan Bidi

Iranian asylum seeker Ehsan Bidi has been in the custody of corrupt Albanian security officials since August of last year, without charge, without trial, without the right to visit, and in a completely illegal manner.
He was recently informed that he was to be released after a year. It was not clear why he was arrested, why he was released without charge or trial, and why he has been in prison for a year.
There was news from some people in the Albanian security apparatus that there was a conspiracy against Bidi. (Bidi is a former member of the MEK – aka Rajavi cult – which operates an extraterritorial, extrajudicial base inside Albania.) Since Ehsan Bidi had not complied with the demands of the security forces during this year, despite intense pressure, they had planned another project. Information emerged that they would first release him, then kidnap him and transfer him to an unknown location, and then express their ignorance about his fate after his release.
The involvement of the Rajavi terrorist cult, which is backed by some Western security services, became even more apparent in this criminal plot when a statement was issued by the so-called “Security and Counter-Terrorism Commission of the National Council of Resistance” on August 10, 2020.
The announcement states:
The Iranian Ministry of Intelligence has placed its mercenaries under the control of former members of the Mojahedin-e Khalq Orgnization (MEK) in two parts under the control of mercenaries Hassan Heyrani and Gholamreza Shokri. Another mercenary, Ehsan Bidi, who had been exposed in previous announcements by the Security and Counter-Terrorism Commission, has been under arrest in a closed camp for a year since August 2019. During this time he received money and facilities through other mercenaries.
It is also stated that:
Gjergji Thanasi and Olsi Yazejiare are in direct contact with mercenaries such as Hassan Heirani, and their café, Frank, is their hangout.

It turned out that the information received was completely correct and the Rajavi cult also tried to prevent any revelations and obstruction of its propaganda during the implementation of this conspiracy, by the former members and those who wish to help them.
In this regard, a campaign was launched in Europe and inside Albania, and letters from many members of the Albanian Parliament as well as representatives of the European Parliament were sent to the Albanian Interior Minister, warning of such a conspiracy. Many reporters told police they wanted to be with Ehsan Bidi when he was released.

Families and other former members also rallied in Britain, France, Germany, Austria, the Netherlands, Sweden and Turkey, and approached the Albanian embassies there to warn of the conspiracy, which is the work of the Rajavi cult’s ‘Terrorism and Counter-Security Commission’. The International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) and the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) and other human rights and international organizations also intervened.

Breath taking hours have passed in recent days. The Albanian government, which wants to join the European Union, was at a crossroads as to whether it could further undermine its record and standards by supporting a terrorist cult or choosing a principled approach to its future.
None of the Albanian government officials was held accountable for the large number of referrals and questions regarding Ehsan Bidi. Although he was released on paper, they did not actually release him, and reporters were constantly seeking news. The Rajavi cult was in dire need of not being forced to retreat in this case, so it was fully active with no place left to go.

Finally, on Thursday, August 13th, Ehsan was transferred to an unknown destination with four Arab refugees. In the face of the corrupt elements in the Albanian government and security apparatus, there were those who did not sell their honor and helped from a humane position, and were careful and provided the necessary information. At the risk of their position, these individuals refused to be complicit in the Albanian government’s corruption.
As we are already informed, they tried to smuggle him into Greece through a neutral non-residential area and leave him there, but the Greek authorities were immediately informed and they sent troops to close the area, resulting in Albanian agents leaving Ehsan Bidi without water and food in the same uninhabited area.
Informed UN officials immediately went to the scene and transferred Ehsan Bidi to a temporary location to ensure his minimum security. The response of the Albanian authorities to the multitude of questions is very interesting. They merely apologized and claimed innocence in front of international observers.
“I’m sorry, there was a mistake,” said a police official, “On the release form of Mr Ehsan Bidi was mistakenly written that he should be deported immediately instead of writing that he should be released immediately.”
The Rajavi cult, which was informed immediately about the case by the corrupt government elements, happily announced in one or two of paid for publications that “Ehsan Bidi has been expelled from Albania.”
More interestingly, the Albanian Interior Minister was completely embarrassed and blamed the Immigration Office, and of course the Immigration Office reacted that it was completely unaware of the matter and that the security officials and the police acted arbitrarily.

They are currently blocking interviews with Ehsan Bidi. But the ban will not last long, and the corrupt elements in the Albanian government, whose names and identities are well known, will finally be held accountable.

August 15, 2020 0 comment

Albania

Terrorists do not need visas; they are already welcomed in Albania

written by Nejat Society

A petition was launched by Nejat Society of Iran on behalf of the suffering families of Mojahedin-e Khalq Organization (MEK, Rajavi cult) members urging the Albanian government to allow these families to contact their loved ones trapped in the MEK camp. Link below:

http://chng.it/GCPbBfFPGr

This petition concludes:

“We urge the Albanian government and the ministry of foreign affairs to issue visas to the suffering families on humanitarian grounds to allow them to travel to Albania and help them visit their loved ones in the MEK camp.”

nejat families petition

Signatures on the petition have well exceeded 1500 after just 9 days and are rapidly increasing. The daily list of signatories and their locations is forwarded to the Albanian authorities.

This has, of course, alarmed the MEK since like all other destructive mind control cults, the leaders are scared to death of the families of the cult’s members. They know that familial emotions will counter their brainwashing practices on the members.

A few days after the campaign was launched, the MEK fearfully reacted on April 23, 2020 in its website ‘Iran Probe’ with a lengthy article titled: “Iranian regime is campaigning for Albanian entry visas for its terrorists”.

The article is a stream of fabricated lies trying to persuade the Albanians not to issue visas for the families.

This shows how much the presence of the families is a nightmare for Massoud and Maryam Rajavi, the cult leaders.

MEK terrorist cult was expelled from Iraq and admitted into their country by the Albanian government in 2016 and located in a remote, isolated camp. Security experts have always considered this a security threat for Albania as well as for Europe. The MEK presence has also been regarded a negative point for Albania as it tries to become a member of the EU.

The MEK camp, which holds the terrorists imported from Iraq, is entirely and secretly run by the cult’s leaders. Albanian officials have no jurisdiction over it. The inhabitants have no access to, or contact with, the outside world, particularly with their friends and families.

MEK terrorists in Albania

The truth is that the genuine terrorists are already welcomed and living in Albania and they do not need visas.

Those who are denied entry and deprived of contacting their loved ones are old mothers and fathers who have not seen or had any contact with their children for decades.
The Albanian government should pay attention to the just request of the families and enable them to contact their loved ones.

April 30, 2020 0 comment

Mujahedin Khalq; A proxy force

Pompeo and MEK isolated by response to pandemic

written by Nejat Society

As Mike Pompeo – now dubbed ‘Secretary of Hate’ by Iranian foreign minister Mohammad Javad Zarif – ramps up his daily rants against Iran in spite of universal pleas for the U.S. to lift sanctions in order to help Iran fight the spread of COVID-19, attention has again focused on the Mojahedin-e Khalq (MEK), the so-called Iranian opposition group based in Albania. The MEK has, of course, become a favourite of anti-Iran hawks in the U.S. and Europe who see it as a weapon against the government in Tehran. But what is the significance of the MEK in Western powers’ anti-Iran campaign? And what impact has the group had on its host country, Albania?

The exiled Iranian Mojahedin-e Khalq organization (MEK) was relocated from Iraq to Albania in 2016, making the country a hub for anti-Iran activities. The move came as a result of efforts by the Obama administration to comply with a longstanding demand by Iraq to remove the MEK from their country. After it was found that no normal country was willing to take on this terrorist entity – EU member state Romania refused to host them – it fell upon Albania to accept the U.S. dollars and fulfil American demands. The UNHCR transferred the MEK as an entity rather than as individuals; the individual members were rendered undocumented and stateless as a result.
This state of affairs suited the new Trump administration, which revelled in the MEK’s regime change rhetoric. In 2017, U.S. support enabled the MEK to regroup and build an extraterritorial enclave inaccessible to the Albanian authorities into which the hapless members were placed. As expected, the MEK aggressively imposed its anti-Iran stance on the country’s political, security and media landscape through corruption, intimidation and propaganda, perverting the country’s foreign policy decisions to favour U.S. and Israeli demands. The same maverick and dangerous behaviour led the EU countries and the European Parliament to ban most MEK activities last year. The leader Maryam Rajavi left France and set up her new headquarters in Albania – MEK leadership cadre occupy an entire floor of the International Hotel in Skanderbeg Square in Tirana.

This shift to Albania came at a time when the EU Council has endorsed the opening of accession talks with Albania and North Macedonia. Unlike North Macedonia, Albania will have to show progress in a number of areas before negotiations start. The primary concerns raised in the Council’s decision are implementation of justice and electoral reforms, fight against crime and corruption, Albanian asylum seekers in the EU, amendment of media laws in line with the recommendations of the Venice Commission. There can be no doubt that when a country’s system is rotten, scavengers will move in. The MEK are like rats chewing on tasty nuggets supplied by crime and corruption.

The situation of Gjergji Thanasi is a case in point. Thanasi, an award-winning investigative journalist, sued MEK member Behzad Safari for defamation, after Safari made scurrilous allegations against him. The case is dragging on because of corruption in the judicial system. Judges are removed, replaced, they don’t turn up, the public prosecutor does not turn up, the defendant does not turn up, the defence lawyers don’t turn up, the English language translator does not turn up. With such a broken system, a respected Albanian citizen cannot obtain justice against the defamatory statements made by a stateless member of a terrorist organization.

But, as destructive as the MEK presence has been in Albania, the group has inevitably played a greater role in the West’s confrontation against Iran. In June 2019, Murtaza Hussain of The Intercept revealed that an internet troll farm was operating from the MEK’s closed camp in Manez. The enslaved members, sitting behind banks of outdated computerware, were being used to manipulate social media messaging on Iran on a global scale. Hussain revealed that ‘Heshmat Alavi’, a self-proclaimed Iranian activist, “appears not to exist” and is “a persona run by a team of people from the political wing of the MEK”.

Heshmat Alavi is the name of an account run by three MEK operatives working from London. They direct the online activities in Albania. There are thousands of ‘Heshmat Alavi’ style accounts created by the MEK on social media churning out false information, misinformation and trolling genuine opposition activists who do not share the MEK’s, nor the U.S. government’s regime change agenda.

Since the EU curtailed its activities there, the MEK has manipulated itself into a cosy symbiotic relationship with the U.S. Secretary of State. MEK social media combatants and its prolific websites echo Pompeo’s extremist anti-Iran statements and stances. In return, Pompeo references the MEK’s misinformation and propaganda in his speeches. Even before the coronavirus pandemic hit, this positioning was not to the MEK’s advantage.

At a time when the WHO urged self-isolation and social distancing to prevent the virus’ spread, the MEK leaders, giddy with the false hope of regime change, urged Iranians to come into the streets and attack the police. Such reckless and futile statements in the name of regime change will not be forgotten or forgiven by Iranians. Nor will the MEK positioning itself alongside the country’s most virulent enemy, the U.S., at its time of greatest need be forgotten or forgiven.

Now that the world is being asked to work together to combat the spread of the virus, the U.S. and the MEK are increasingly finding themselves out on a limb as regards Iran. A political and moral self-isolation that will have serious repercussions in the future.

By MASSOUD AND ANNE KHODABANDEH, Balkans Post

Massoud Khodabandeh is the Director of Middle East Strategy Consultants and has worked long-term with the authorities in Iraq to bring about a peaceful solution to the impasse at Camp Liberty and help rescue other victims of the Mojahedin-e Khalq cult. Khodabandeh co-authored the book ‘The Life of Camp Ashraf – Victims of Many Masters’ with his wife Anne Singleton.
Anne Khodabandeh, is an expert in anti-terrorist activities and a long-standing activist in the field of deradicalization of extremists. She has written several articles and books on this subject, along with her husband, who is of Iranian origin.

April 2, 2020 0 comment

Mujahedin Khalq Organization

Students Stand Up To Modern Slavery

written by Nejat Society

CNN reported on February 5, 2020 that right now, 40 million people are trapped in modern slavery. The report indicates that a worldwide campaign has been called for March 11, 2020 #MyFreedomDay against the phenomena. Students have organized events for the day to highlight the issue of modern slavery and celebrate freedom.

My Freedom Day

What exactly is modern slavery?

Modern slavery is pretty much defined the same way as slavery throughout human history has been defined. Slavery occurs when one person controls another person, through violence, the threat of violence or by mind manipulation and thought control, in order to exploit them, economically, sexually or otherwise, and the victim is not free, physically or mentally or both, to walk away.

The biggest difference is that modern slavery is usually hidden and it’s more complicated and difficult to identify. It could be a woman trafficked or kidnapped and made to work in a brothel in Europe, or a man threatened with being killed or mutilated if he doesn’t work in the fields, or a child forced to do dangerous work in gold mines or on fishing boats, or someone who has been brainwashed inside a destructive mind control cult to become a robotic worker. None of these people get paid and none of them are able to escape for fear of violence against them or their families, or for fear of being doomed or cursed by the cult leader.

MEK, an extreme example

The notorious camp of the Mojahedin-e Khalq Organization (MEK, MKO, Rajavi Cult) in Manez in Albania is a very clear and extreme case of holding modern slaves. These individuals have been subject to mind manipulation and brainwashing over many years in Iraq and now in Albania and they are forced to commit crimes such as terrorism, human trafficking, money laundry, fraud, robbery and forging documents.

The MEK operates as a destructive, mind control cult. The organization forbids love, familial relationships, voluntary exit, and contact with the outside world, in particular with friends and families, enjoying privacy of thoughts and an individual lifestyle, criticism of the leader, and denies many other basic human rights to its members.

Members are not paid in any form and they work round the clock seven days a week without any day off or vacation. The leaders even control their beliefs and opinions. They endure communal living with the minimum of health and welfare.

This CNN campaign should have an eye on this matter too. MEK members are trapped in a remote isolated camp run by cult leaders. They have no contact with the outside world, and they do not have any way out. Unfortunately, the Albanian government which hosts them cooperates with the cult for their own short term political and financial benefits.

These cult members, modern slaves, are very much looking forward to their eventual freedom.

March 11, 2020 0 comment

Mujahedin Khalq Organization

MEK Hinders Coronavirus Detection In Albania

written by Nejat Society

International anger has greeted news that a South Korean cult has been responsible for the rapid spread of Coronavirus in the country. The 12 executives of the Shincheonji Church of Jesus must be held accountable for the rapid spread of COVID-19 among the members and for the decision to send thousands of adherents out into public which contributed to the rapid spread of the virus. Investigators are seeking to establish whether this was through neglect or a deliberate act.

Over a million people have signed an online petition calling for the church to be disbanded. But taking such action would not be easy. The church has many members in many countries, and many keep their membership secret. Indeed, the secrecy of cults is one of the major problems associated with their activities. Although prosecution of their leaders is the most effective way to deal with the criminality and human rights violations which inevitably play a role in any cult.

The leaders of the Shincheonji Church of Jesus frequently visited China and the members subsequently socialised with the Korean community without revealing the fact that many of their members are fatally ill.

In a similar way, leading members of the Iranian Mojahedin-e Khalq Organization (MEK, MKO, Rajavi Cult) which is based in Albania, make frequent visits to Italy, which has the largest cluster of infections after China, South Korea and Iran. Although the members live in a secretive closed camp named Camp Ashraf 3, some socialise with the Albanian community around them while shopping or visiting officials. The cult’s leaders occupy an entire floor of the International hotel in the middle of the capital Tirana.

There are now rumors from inside the cult’s closed camp in Manez, that some members have vanished, and some are showing signs of flu-like viral sickness. The MEK will certainly not reveal any illnesses inside the cult. They have always kept the cause of deaths inside their camp secret.

The problems surrounding the South Korean cult exist in just the same way with MEK. Unaccountable leadership, isolated and secretive membership. The members are mostly elderly, and many are sick and weak and therefore vulnerable to death following infection. The MEK have no testing kits or medical capability to deal with an outbreak. It is uncertain whether they would even accept any help offered.

Curiously, investigators are looking into why Albania has not announced a single case of Coronavirus even though there are multiple ferry crossings between Albania and Italy every day. The answer appears to be along the lines of ‘if you don’t look for it, you won’t find it’ and ‘if you don’t want to find it, you won’t look for it’.

The MEK is considered to be a national security threat for Europe in general and for Albania in particular. Now with this secrecy they should be considered as a health and hygiene threat too. Unlike the South Korean cult, the MEK consists fewer than 2,000 members. Most of these are contained in a closed camp to which Albanian authorities have no access. The authorities must hold the MEK leaders accountable. Leader Maryam Rajavi must allow full access and investigation into what is happening inside Camp Ashraf 3 and submit the members to Coronavirus to testing. The WHO has a vital role to play in this situation.

The problem is that the MEK is supported by the U.S. and that means it may not be possible for even the government of Albania to contradict or challenge the cult’s behaviour even in the face of the deadly Coronavirus threat. The question now is to what extent are the Albanians ready to suffer a heavy price to appease the Americans?

MEK Hinders Coronavirus Detection In Albania

March 9, 2020 0 comment

Missions of Nejat Society

Appeal of the Iranian Nejat Society CEO to awakened human consciences

written by Nejat Society

A letter written by the CEO of the Iranian Nejat Society addressed to awakened human consciences has been sent to international and humanitarian organizations, such as different bodies of the UN, ICRC, AI, and HRW, as well as different institutes of the EU and EP, and also to international media. The text of the letter is as follows:

Ebrahim Khodabande

To awakened human consciences
I address you on behalf of thousands of suffering families of members of the Mojahedin-e Khalq Organization (MEK, MKO, better known as the Rajavi cult) residing in a remote isolated camp in Albania, about the severe abuses of basic human rights there.

The MEK finished the process of transferring from Iraq to Albania in 2016. This relocation was done in the manner of a group movement under an agreement made in Geneva between the USA, the Albanian government, the UNHCR and the MEK. It was agreed that the UNHCR be responsible for the transfer and the USA pay the expenses.

Later it was discovered that this relocation was not carried out under the UN refugee regulations which specify that people should seek asylum individually, but rather as the transfer of an organization belonging to the leaders of the MEK. The consequence was that the individual members have no legal status and are therefore considered “stateless”.

The MEK operates as a destructive, mind control cult. The organization forbids love, familial relationships, voluntary exit, and contact with the outside world in particular with friends and families, having privacy of thoughts and lifestyle, criticism of the leader, and denies many other basic human rights to its members.
I have thousands of letters from the families of the members. They just want to have a simple contact with their loved ones trapped inside the cult. The cult leaders have denied them this right and the Albanian government and other related bodies do not show any cooperation. How should I answer these families, what should I say in response to them?

A considerable number of MEK members have left the cult and since they have no clear legal status and do not hold official ID documentation, they are left in a very tight situation in Albania. The UNHCR and the interior ministry of the Albanian government will not do anything for them since they do not recognize their presence in Albania as individuals and have accepted them as part of a group.

These individuals are forced to depend on the MEK for their subsistence, and of course the cult only pays their monthly aid provided they do not reveal the abuse of human rights inside the organization and the cult’s crimes and corruption. They take the freedom of these former members away and make any support conditional on them performing tasks, such as spying on others.

Is there anybody within the vast number of international and humanitarian organizations who will pay a little attention to these extreme violations of human rights? Is there anyone who will have something to say to these aged mothers and fathers to relieve their pain? Is there anything humane beyond the international policies and mutual interests or conflict of interests of different parties raised?

I am anxiously looking forward to your response and thank you in advance.

Ebrahim Khodabandeh
Nejat Society CEO
Tehran, Iran

March 1, 2020 0 comment

Albania

Where is Albania heading to?

written by Nejat Society

I am wondering where the Albanian government is heading by giving full support to a terrorist cult, which they hosted back in 2016 after it was expelled from Iraq.

MEK background

The Mojahedin-e Khalq Organization (MEK, MKO, NCRI, NLA, or better known as the Rajavi cult) had a military base in Iraq facilitated by Saddam Hussein and they actively participated against their own county alongside the enemy in the 1980-88 Iran-Iraq war.

This was alongside a terrorist campaign waged inside Iran in the early 80s which claimed 12,000 lives. They also joined with Saddam’s army to suppress the 1991 uprisings in the north and south of Iraq.

The cult has also a disturbing record of abusing the human rights of its own members who are brainwashed and isolated in a closed camp, first in Iraq and now in Albania.

Saddam who had a hostile attitude towards Iran and Iranians used the MEK terrorist cult to carry out sabotage activities inside Iran until he was overthrown by the American invasion of the country in 2003.

Female operators in ISIS and MEK, victims of destructive cults

MEK moved from Iraq to Albania

After the fall of the Baghdad dictator in 2003, the Iraqi governments, one after the other, insisted that the MEK, which they found a threat to the country’s national security, be expelled from Iraq. The problem was that no country was prepared to host them until Albania showed itself willing to do so for the short-term benefit of some politicians.

At the present time the Albanian government serves the cult in the same way as Saddam Hussein did in the past.

Trump Thanks Albania for ‘Standing Up To Iran’

On January 15, 2020 it was announced that ‘Albania Expelled Two More Iranian Diplomats’. Acting Albanian Foreign Minister Gent Cakaj announced the decision in a Facebook post. “The two representatives of the Islamic Republic have been asked to leave the territory of the Republic of Albania immediately,” Cakaj wrote, without offering further details.

U.S. President Donald Trump thanked Albania for expelling Iran’s diplomats for alleged national security reasons. According to the U.S. embassy in Tirana, Trump thanked Prime Minister Edi Rama in a letter for his “steadfast efforts to stand up to Iran”.

The Trump administration’s hostility towards Iran and Iranians is no secret, and the US president thinks that he might somehow use the MEK terrorist cult against Iran. This is why he supports the group and tries to keep it intact despite violations of the basic rights of the members.

The role of the Albanian government in this matter is no more than blindly following Washington’s guidelines, even if that means paying the price of losing the EU membership that they are so eager to gain.

EU-Albania relationship

Albania is an EU candidate country and it has made considerable progress in recent years in meeting the political criteria and the objectives related to the five key priorities for the opening of accession negotiations. However, the Albanian government needs to further tackle the remaining challenges in a sustainable, comprehensive and tangible manner, particularly when it comes to the fight against corruption at all levels, the fight against organized crime, promotion of the rule of law as well as judicial reform, the protection of minorities and establishment of good neighborly relations.

Now Albania, to appease its US instructors, has hosted a terrorist cult in Europe and fully supports it by every possible means. Defectors from the MEK are put under enormous pressure in order to be forced into returning to the cult, and the members are denied any contact with the outside world, particularly with their families. The Albanian government prevents the families of the MEK members from going there and visiting their loved ones.

What are the Albanians up to?

The Albanian government apparently prefers the short-term benefits of turning against Iran and supporting MEK against Iran to its long-term benefits in relation to Europe and the wider world. The MEK is no longer a security or even political threat for Iran, it is rather a human rights issue. But the MEK could well be a threat for Albania as well as the whole Europe.

The members have been brought to Albania without travel documents and therefore they have no legal status in the country (they are stateless) and they are currently living in conditions of modern slavery at the hands of the cult leaders.

In Albania, hundreds of members have left the cult and they have no legal and financial support at all. Thousands of families are deprived from having any contact with their loved ones in the MEK camp.

I am afraid the Albanians are taking a great risk by fully following Trump’s hostile policy towards Iran and Iranians. The support given by the Albanian government for US actions are unique in the world and will by no means make them closer to Europe.

February 15, 2020 0 comment

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