Habilian Association Website

Mujahedin Khalq Organization as a terrorist group

Eternal Light; MEK operation against Iranian civilians

Shortly after the cease-fire between Iran and Iraq, in July 1988, Mujahedin-e Khalq terrorist group armed and equipped by executed Iraqi dictator gathered all its members across Europe in Iraq and conducted a military offensive on the Western Iranian borders.

Masood Rajavi left France on a private plane for Iraq on June 7th, 1986. An Iraqi delegation headed by “Taha Yasin Ramadan” the vice prime minister welcomed Rajavi at the airport on behalf of the Iraqi president. Mujahedin-e Khalq believed in this move as follow: in a situation where different imperialism conspiracies are taking place against the armed resistance of the people of Iran, and fears of the shaken and dying regime of Iran is reaching its climax of Masood Rajavi and his new revolution, moving from France to the borders of Iran which is the last step for Rajavi to take before entering the country, is congratulated to all his followers. A day before his flight, Rajavi stated on a videotape:

If I don’t go tomorrow, the day after tomorrow might be too late. Not only for myself but for the people resistance, people in the chain and incarcerated in the country.

After settling where he was supposed to be staying, he started meeting Iraqi officials. 8 days later on June 15, 1986, he met Saddam Hussein. At this time terrorist activities of MKO continued in border cities of Iran.

Photo: Massoud Rajavi, left, meets with and the Iraqi President Saddam Hussein in Iraq in June 1986.

The Liberation Army

On July 8th, 1987, Rajavi met the Iraqi dictator again; at this meeting, Saddam congratulated Rajavi on the foundation of the national liberation army. Reciprocally Rajavi congratulated Sadaam on the National Day of Iraq and celebrations of the July 30th day.

At this time once a while we heard a meeting taking place between Rajavi and Saddam.

The liberation army was founded on June 20th, 1987 after receiving huge support either in form of cash or military assistants from the Iraqi government. In a short time, the alleged army started attacking Iranian border cities on large scale.

On Monday, July 18th, 1988 at 2 p.m. the radio of the Islamic Republic of Iran broadcasted news as follows:

The Islamic Republic of Iran has officially accepted resolution # 598 in a message delivered to the general secretary of the United Nations in order to establish peace and security in the region.

Two days after this news, Imam Khomeini (peace be upon him) in a detailed statement on the anniversary day of the massacre of the Iranian pilgrims in Mecca appreciated all those who fought to defend this country. He continued his remarks by saying that at this time, I see accepting the resolution in the interest of the revolution and the country.

Accepting the resolution, had widespread reactions, domestically and internationally. Some countries, like Iraq, regarded this event as a new tactic. When the cease-fire was accepted by Iran, a very serious situation was created for MKO. They had a very good understanding of Saddam, they knew that Saddam might make a deal on them any moment and turn them into the government of Iran; in another hand, MKO had planned all their politic and their existence upon the continuation of the war, and they never anticipated a cease-fire.

Therefore they did not see any other way except to intensify the war or at least keep the war going on. After our Islamic country was attacked by the Iraqis and the temporary withdrawal of our fighters, MKOs thought that accepting the U.N resolution was due to the separation of the government and people. They were trying to take advantage of the situation to achieve their ugly goals.

By gathering some people from the counter-revolutionary groups in different parts of Europe, and by all military equipment that they received a gift from Saddam, the MKO put a force of 15000 people together. They started their attacks from the strait of Patagh in the west of the country against the Islamic Republic of Iran.

Members of this group, who up to now had a comfortable life in the west, were drawn into the war because of the MKO propaganda and excessive financial aids from the U.S. and Iraqi government and in the hope of conquering Tehran in 3 days. Saddam ordered the Iraqi army to provide the most modern military equipment which was recently purchased, at their disposal. Therefore, they attacked Iran by using new and the most modern equipment.

The Iraqi air force, by providing preliminary supports encouraged them to enter deep into Iran and ultimately conquer Tehran. By this doom alliance, a wide section of our Islamic country was attacked.

Eternal Light Operation - Mersad

MKO was able to conquer the city of Kerend in the early stages of its advancement. So happy with this victory, they tried to reach the city of Islam Abad, they faced little resistance and finally conquered Islam Abad as well. 4 days after accepting the United Resolution # 598 by Iran, on Friday, July 23rd, 1988, Iraqis started widespread attacks against Iranian positions in the south and advanced to a point, 30 km away from Khoramshahr. Their intention was to capture more territory and prisoners from Iran so they could use them as a bargaining tool with Iran in the future.

Khoramshahr was about to fall again because in light of accepting the U.N resolution, all forces were evacuated and the city was in fact defenseless. At this time Imam Khomeini (PBU) sent a message to all military commanders, asking them to prevent the enemy from taking over the city at any price.

Following the broadcast of the message, a huge number of volunteer militias, who were dismayed by accepting the Resolution, made themselves available at Khoramshahr and forced the enemy to withdraw back to the borderlines.

On July 25th, 1988 at 2:30 pm, few members of the MKO who had fled to Iraq and with the supports that they received from Saddam and heavy & light equipment that they received from the United States started invading Kermanshah in the west. This happened when the army was busy in the south and neglected the west. In a short time, they passed the strait of Patagh and entered into Iranian territory. They conquered the cities of “Sare Pole Zahab” and west Kerend. They stayed in Islam Shahr for the first night and killed a lot of inhabitants of that city. They even killed people who were injured in hospitals, it is interesting to know that they killed even their own relatives, Masood Rajavi, while riding in a Bullett Proof car, accompanied the group which consisted of 15000 men, women and children.

MKO commanders believed that Iran’s military is disintegrated and is very vulnerable, and only one shock will topple the Islamic Republic. MKO prepared their military plan in 24 hours, unveiled their plan in a meeting on July 22nd, 1988, and called their operation “Forough-e Javidan” which means an immortal light. Masood Rajavi concluded in that meeting that the internal situation of the country was very fragile and will have his next meeting in the Azadi square in Tehran.

MKO was very happy with their preliminary victories and in a hurried decision, they decided to move toward Kermanshah In form of a column from Islamshahr. They thought that people would join them on the way towards Tehran. They thought that they could form new regiments of people and each of their members could lead the regiment. They thought that they could prepare the foundation for the regime to topple. Radio MKO started sending messages to the people of Kermanshah, asking them to join them and prepare the city for their arrival.

In the morning of July 27th, 1988, the Iranian army started the operation of Mersad with the code name “Ya Ali – Ebne – Abitaleb” (AS).

MKO, who were happy of not facing any resistance on their way, suddenly faced themselves in an Inferno of bombs which were falling on them from air and land. It did not take a long time to see the Kermanshah – Islamabad road piled up by burned equipment which was given to the MKO by the west as a gift. Few people who succeeded to save their lives escaped to the villages nearby, some other decided to take their lives by taking cyanide tablets. When the operation ended, both sides of the road were piled up with bodies of thousands of men and women whose hands were stained with the blood of their own countrymen.

The Islamic fighters suddenly closed the road 34 km away from Islam Abad. Heavy fighting took place on that artery.

Eternal Light Operation - Mersad

The anti-tank division of the military in an outrageous action destroyed many tanks of the MKO. The Islam Abad, Kermanshah artery was filled with many burned equipment at early stages.

The actions of the Islamic fighters shattered all dreams of MKOs. MKO’s had no choice but to withdraw and pull back to Islamshahr. The city was surrounded by following the enemy.

MKO had no choice but to escape the city in order to save their lives. The Islamic fighters, by using air force and helicopter, blocked the roads on MKOs on Karand and strait of Pathgh and cut their communications. On July 28th, 1988 the Islamic fighters advanced towards predetermined targets. The air force sharp flyers and heavy bombardment left no opportunity for the Iraqi air force to get engaged… As the result, in the same afternoon, the city of Islam Abad was cleared of the MKO.

One of the particular characteristics of this operation was that, not only the Iranian people didn’t welcome MKO but also resisted their invasion as well. In addition, all political parties, groups, figures who are in opposition to the government of Iran and are based outside Iran, condemned the action of Masood Rajavi and other leaders of MKO in sending thousands of people to be killed in Forough Javidan Operation.

London Kayhan, an opposition Newspaper in London in an article from a reader wrote;

I watched the BBC news, I am so angry, my message is this that we should not keep quiet in dealing with traitors like MKOs, and MKO in collaboration with Iraqis invaded our country. We are sitting and watching.

Eternal Light Operation - Mersad

Summary of the Operation

What was destroyed by the enemy?

Over 120 tanks

400 transporters

90 cannons 80 mm

150 cannons 60 mm

30 cannons 106 mm

Regiments of the Enemy

Over 20 units of joint cooperation of Iraqis and MKO

Spoils of War

1000 RPG

700 Kalashnikov

Tens of Tanks and Transporter

Tens of Automobile

Advanced communication equipment

Electronic Equipment and Internal documents

MKO listed 1274 people killed in the Forough Javidan Operation. Among them were 5 members of the executive group who each led one military regiment, and 11 members of the executive group of the organization.

According to these findings, 1100, MKO got injured in the operation as well.

The damage sustained by the MKO based on their own assertion was as follow:

72 tanks

612 different types of vehicles

21 cannons 122 mm

51 rifles 106 mm

52 U.S. senators, few days before this operation, wrote a letter to the U.S. secretary of state, at the time, George Schultz, telling him that the United States must support MKO who are based in Iraq and use them at maximum to overthrow the government in Tehran.

Dead MEK fighters in Iran, after the failed Operation Mersad (Wikipedia)

Senator Mervin Daimly who strongly insisted on overthrowing the Islamic Republic government took part in MKO meetings and took a very heated position in favor of them on June 27th, 1988, senator Daimly took part in the MKO demonstration in Washington D.C. as well.

He told the audience that “We should not give up, we will be marching from Mehran to Tehran very soon if we try a little harder”

In this operation, Rajavi ordered to kill Ali Zarkash one of the persons in charge of the organization who recently had disobeyed his orders.

He was killed from behind by one of the officers of Rajavi. It was portrayed as he was killed by the government army. They even arranged special seven-day traditional mourning services for him.

MKO lost quite a few of those good members in that operation. Among people who got killed in the MKO side, were few foreign nationals – mostly because they married Iranians and accompanied their spouse in the operation.

After Imam Khomeini (PBU), passed away, Rajavi performed few combat maneuvers in Iraq. He tried to keep his members busy. He wanted to get permission from Saddam to attack Tehran.

Few Iraqi generals, who were always present during those military maneuvers, said that those maneuvers did not have enough military values to topple the government of Iran. Some fake scenes of those shows made them laugh.

July 26, 2021 0 comment

Mujahedin Khalq; A proxy force

Costly Terrorists to the Europe

Almost a week has elapsed since Janez Jansha, the Slovenian Prime Minister chairing the EU rotating presidency, addressed an online gathering organized by the Mojahedin-e Khalq (MEK) terrorist group.

In his speech on July 10, Jansha broke all diplomatic rules and attended a terrorist group conference disregarding his official position. In addition to making statements against the Iranian government and intervening in its internal affairs, he supported the MEK which used to be on multiple terror group lists for a long time.

Hours later, the Slovenian ambassador was summoned to the foreign ministry of Iran. Next, in a talk with Joseph Borell, Mohammad Javad Zarif voiced his objection to Slovenia’s act. Borell told Zarif that Slovenia’s action did not reflect the EU’s official position.

The MEK took advantage of all these reactions and called Jansha a brave Prime Minister. However, in Slovenia, Prime Minister faced harsh criticism in the media where he was warned of the consequences of his action, especially regarding Iran-Slovenia relations.

Delo berates Janša over Iran comments

According to the Slovenian newspaper Delo, the Prime Minister’s participation in the MEK gathering was without the knowledge of the president and the foreign minister calling it an arbitrary decision. This newspaper also expressed its concerns regarding how this act might jeopardize the economic transactions and relations of the two countries. It also added, “severity of Europe’s reactions to this incident shows how dangerous this matter could be. Slovenia has turned into a disruptive factor in EU’s policies.”

It seems highly likely that the Slovenian PM received a large sum of money for his several-minute speech. According to international reports published by American investigative journalists, the MEK pays its foreign guests, depending on their ranks, an average of thirty thousand dollars for a short speech. Of course, this amount is much more for A-listers. If we take into account the PM’s financial corruption and his two-year sentenced to prison in 2013, it should not be surprising that Jansha received an exorbitant amount to speak at the gathering.

This tactless act i.e., supporting a terrorist cult, damaged Slovenia’s reputation severely both at the international level and in the eyes of Iranian citizens because more than sixty percent of Iranian terror victims have been murdered by the MEK terrorist cult. Unless this mistake is fixed, it appears that future interactions between the two countries will be challenging.

The MEK held the conference before the eyes of the European officials in Albania showing how a terrorist cult could incur heavy costs to relations of the countries. Slovenia is an example of a country that got involved in the game of a terrorist group and acted irrationally and unconventionally just like their Albanian counterparts who entered this game long before by lining up their former officials to deliver speeches and support this terrorist group.

The new president will take office in Iran in the beginning of August and it is important that there be good relations between Iran and the European Union away from and not affected by disruptive factors. The MEK proved that its actions aim to break off such bilateral relations. They are costly terrorists for Europe.
By Reza Alqurabi

July 25, 2021 0 comment

The cult of Rajavi

Women in the Mujahedin Khalq cult

The following brief note examines international standards of women’s rights within the Mojahedin-e-Khalq Organization (MeK), namely the cult of Rajavi, by referring to international documents, testimonies of members who managed to escape from the MEK, and speeches and videos released from the cult’s leaders.

Following the Operation “Eternal Light”, the Mojahedin-e-Khalq’s largest military movement against the Islamic Republic of Iran in July 1988, which led to the killing of more than 2,500 MeK members, , Massoud and Maryam Rajavi, in a meeting with members of the organization, said that the reason for this failure was the lack of focus of members due to affection between men and women, and since then, forced divorces and separation of children from the arms of parents became part of the organization’s ideology.

The women of the organization no longer have the right to marry or even think about men from thirty-three years ago. They must suppress all their sexual desires, and if they think about these desires for a moment, they are doomed to confess to the leaders and members of the organization and to be insulted and humiliated by them, in order to be forgiven. For thirty-three years, no woman in the organization has had the right to marry, think about her sexual desires, become a mother, communicate or even see their children who were taken away. But some of the women who managed to escape, including Batool Soltani, testified that they were raped by Massoud Rajavi during an operation called “Dance of Liberation.”

The leaders of the MEK did not stop there; they began sterilizing women in an operation they called the “Ideal Peak”, in order to kill any hope in women so that they would never think about the future in which they want to become mothers. Nasrin Ebrahimi, another member who managed to escape from the organization, spoke about the forced sterilization of women in MEK on September 9, 2008, at a meeting in the European Parliament with the presence of the members, and asked the parliamentary delegation to send specialists and doctors to the organization for investigating in this field.

The forcible removal of wombs can bring a disability for women who want to have children. A type of organ defect that cannot be treated or compensated. There are many human rights laws that place special emphasis on the physical and mental health of women. The ban on marriage and sterilization of women is practically an attempt to cut off the generation of MEK members. In fact, this is a genocide. In international law, any deliberate attempt to prevent the birth of a group, tribe, or ethnicity constitutes genocide.

Zahra Mirbagheri

Zahra Sadat Bagheri, another member who managed to escape, said that till she was in the organization, she knew 95 women who had been sterilized and announced the names of all of them. She said Massoud and Maryam Rajavi congratulated each of the women after the operation: “Congratulations to you who reached the peak of liberation from gender.”

The truth of the situation of women in the organization is exactly what its leaders declare; Separation from gender. The women of the organization are forcibly separated from their gender, but at the same time, they have to wear a scarf to cover their hair and have to cover their body with special uniforms, and are not even free to choose the style and color of their clothes.

MEK women

Women’s uniforms are mandatory in the organization. Majid Mohammadi, a current member of the organization, explains the type of compulsory clothing for women: “The red color of the scarf in the MEK uniform has been borrowed from Marxism. The coats are green and symbolize the revolutionary wars of Fidel Castro and Che Guevara in Cuba. Fewer photos have been published of MEK women with a variety of colors and clothing.”

Women have been forcibly separated from their gender by the organization’s leaders, but at the same time, gender segregation in the organization is rampant. The RAND Corporation report describes this gender segregation in a field study as follows:

“Despite claims by the Mujahedin-e Khalq and the National Council of Resistance to support gender equality and to place women in leadership positions, men and women are kept separate in the organization’s camps. They are segregated by gender, and in some buildings, lines are drawn in the middle of the community halls that separate men from women.

Men and women below the leadership level are barred from communicating with each other; Unless they have received official permission in each specific case. It is forbidden for men and women to shake hands, even the gas station in Camp Ashraf has separate hours for men and women to use.”

These contradictions show that women in the organization are merely ideological tools of leaders and have no right to object to any of them.

July 12, 2021 0 comment

The cult of Rajavi

MEK intolerance towards Dissents and Critics

The type of interaction that the Mojahedin-e Khalq organization has with its critics and opponents is very unique among political organizations.

The group’s ideology is political totalitarianism which means it aims to eliminate all other political groups and critics who constantly challenge their ideologies.

This trait of the MEK is rooted in their belief that the existence of and activity of all Iranian opposition groups whether inside or outside of the country is dependent on the MEK and it seeks to bring them under control and dictate its legitimacy and hegemony.

How the group’s leader, Massoud Rajavi, defines the defectors from this group clearly show his thoughts. He said that, any organism absorbs and produces wastes and the defectors are the wastes of the MEK. They take a similar stance towards critics and dissenters.

Additionally, to establish their hegemony, the MEK has resorted to other tools as well including assault on rallies, falsification of news, making accusations and threats, and intimidation.

A list of the MEK’s actions in this regard follows:

1. Making threats to assassinate and exerting political pressure on and imprisonment of dissenters, critics and defectors;

2. Assaults on rallies and threatening the lives of opponents and critics through email

3. Launching propaganda against defectors in order to disturb their lives

4. Getting up petitions against critics and opponents of the group

5. Introducing their opponents as terrorists

6. Instructing lobbies in Western countries’ parliaments to prepare reports against the dissidents of the organization and sending it to Foreign Ministries of those countries as undesirable elements

7. Meeting with people in judicial system, police, parliamentarians and lobbies in a given country to provide them with information against the group’s dissenters in that country.

How the MEK treated opponents and critics according to international documents

Harassing the group’s dissenters

In a document released by the US Embassy and a WikiLeaks in Baghdad on the MEK in 2011, it is stated that the dissenters of the group were being harassed. These documents were based on interviews with defectors from the group where the US State Department paints a disturbing picture of the repression of MEK members by the cult leaders. The report also claims that any member of the group who is witnessed while on the run from the camp must be executed immediately.

Many of the defectors claimed that the organization had inflicted mental and physical damage on them in solitary confinement at Camp Ashraf.

Human rights violations in the MEK’s camps

The Human Rights Watch published a report named No Exit where seven former members of the MEK testify that they were beaten, insulted, tortured and held in solitary confinement during their years in the Mojahedin camp in Iraq.

“Inside the MEK camps, examples of human rights violations committed by the group leader to the dissenters inside the camp include long-term imprisonment with no contact with the outside world, beatings, psychological and verbal harassment, forced confessions, death threats and tortures which led to the death of 2 people. Statements of ex-members indicate that the MEK had three types of prisons inside its camps in Iraq:

According to them, the first type was small residential units known as guest houses. Those who had intended to leave the group were held in these units alone. They were not allowed to leave their units to talk and meet anyone inside the camp or to contact relatives and friends in the outside.

The second type of imprisonment in the MEK camps was confinement in small solitary cells. Imprisonment in such cell was a way of punishing the dissenters. While in the cells, these members had to cogitate and criticize what they did.

The third type reported by witnesses includes detention, physical torture, and interrogation in secret prisons of the MEK’s camps of which, according to the Human Rights Watch interview with those detained, no one in the camp was aware.

Physical abuse, imprisonment and no permission to leave

Regarding how the MEK treated the dissenters, the RAND corporation said, “recent findings showed that punishment of the those who opposed the group’s policies ranged from forcing members to make written confessions about disloyalty to imprisonment in specific locations in camp Ashraf. Former members have also reported torture and long-term confinements as a method of punishment for disloyalty.

July 12, 2021 0 comment

Habilian on the MEK women's rights abuses

Human Rights Abuse in the MEK

Women’s rights abuses inside the MEK

In a cult, both women and men suffer in the iron grip of charismatic and authoritarian cult leaders, however, women followers face a unique set of life-altering issues — and those unique issues often become the focus of media coverage of cult cases.

According to Alexandra Stein, the author of “Terror, Love and Brainwashing: Attachment in Cults and Totalitarian Systems”, Women’s right to control their bodies, their child-bearing, their sexuality and their mothering are all taken away in cults as the leader grabs control of these most intimate parts of their lives.

The Mujahedin-e Khalq Organization (MeK) is one of these cults which has confined hundreds of women to its walled compound, once in northeast Iraq and now in southeast Europe, on the pretext of protecting their rights. A number of violations of women’s rights have been reported so far by a number of its defected members and international rights groups and institutions.

Habilian on the MEK women's rights abuses

Habilian Association has published a bulletin which contains ten articles covering the issue of Women’s rights abuses within the MEK camps.

The bulletin be may be accessed here.

May 27, 2021 0 comment

Mujahedin Khalq Organization's Propaganda System

A list of over 250 MeK’s Fake Twitter Accounts releases

A list of 256 fake Twitter accounts owned by the Mujahedin-e Khalq Organization was released by Habilian.

These accounts, most of which operating from Albania, were identified by the cyber monitoring division of Habilian Association, which is engaged in monitoring online activities of anti-Iranian terrorist groups.

According to Habilian, at least hundreds of other fake accounts affiliated with the Mujahedin-e Khalq are operating in Twitter.

the Mujahedin-e Khalq Organization (MeK) is a violent anti-Iranian terrorist group which has formed a cyber army to launch large-scale propaganda operations against Iranian Government.

In late November of 2020, Twitter suspended the official account of the MEK leader Maryam Rajavi for three weeks due to the promotion of violence. After that, users’ access to other pages of this group was restricted.

Also, in early April 2021, Facebook announced that it has removed a network of over 300 Facebook accounts, Pages, Groups and accounts on Instagram operated by the MeK which appear to be run from a troll farm located in Albania. In its Coordinated Inauthentic Behavior monthly report, Facebook wrote that these accounts targeted primarily Iran and also global audiences with content related to Iran.

In his letter to the Twitter company, Habilian announced its readiness to send details of hundreds of other fake accounts affiliated with the MeK terrorist group.

Earlier, a number of dissident members of the group, who had previously worked in the group’s cyber sector, reported the existence of a troll farm inside the Tirana camp, in which 1,000 to 1,500 members are operating thousands of fake Twitter accounts dedicated to incite violence throughout Iran in order to advance political goals and portray Iranian government as an authoritarian regime opposing the rights of its citizens.

Most of these fake accounts were launched after Donald Trump came to power. Taking advantage of this new opportunity, the terrorist group focused its content on hate speech and promotion of violence as a means to further their cause.

April 19, 2021 0 comment

Mujahedin Khalq Organization

Five Illegal and extremist acts of MEK within the European borders

The group’s recent interactions with the United States are divided up into two parts: The first part was during the Trump era and the second part has been started since Biden’s entry into the Oval Office. Since Donald Trump was inaugurated as the 45th President of the United States and with regards to his international policies in cahoots with Israel, MEK assumed that it was the high time that it could achieve its purposes.

To download the video file click here

In the first step, they tried to reduce their violent acts as they expected that the Iranian government overthrows during this period and they can take power in Iran. As mentioned earlier, violence is an inseparable part of this organization and taking that from them would lead to an internal crisis.

March 28, 2021 0 comment

Massoud Rajavi

Rajavi orders widespread assassinations throughout Iran

In response to the recent message of the Mojahedin-e Khalq Organization (MKO)’s leader, in which he ordered the group’s terror cells to initiate widespread assassinations throughout Iran, families of Iranian victims of terrorism have written a letter to the international institutions of the European Union calling for legal proceedings against this terrorist group.

“The families of terror victims in Iran call on all international authorities and institutions in the European Union to, along with restricting the activities of this group in Europe, prosecute the leaders of this terrorist group in an international court with the presence of their victims,” the letter read.

Terrorism

According to this letter, the MKO leader’s order demonstrates adoption of a violent strategy towards the judicial process and the court hearing on March 8 and 9, 2021 where a large number of former members filed a complaint about years of torture and violation of human rights by this group.

As the open letter points out: “the group’s recent move to establish terror cells in Iran and their acts of sabotage and violence, which is officially admitted and prompted by the group, proved that the MeK is still a militant cult and a far cry from becoming an opposition group.”

Referring to The MKO’s location in Europe and freely activity of its members in European countries, families of Iranian terror victims warned that the group’s previous crimes and the violent threats its leader made on March 8 as well as any upcoming terrorist acts and assassinations in Iran, are partly the responsibility of the countries which have sheltered this group.

Massoud Rajavi

Read the full text of the letter below:

We are the families of the victims of assassinations and violence of the terrorist group Mojahedin-e Khalq Organization (aka MKO, MeK, PMOI) who lost our children, parents and grandparents in targeted and blind operations of this group. We have repeatedly protested against the negligence of international institutions in carrying out their obligations such as restraining this group and taking necessary measures to start prosecuting its leaders for their terrorist acts and crimes against humanity.

In our earlier correspondence, we had warned that ignoring their violent acts and behaviors would lead to this group’s return to violence and aggression.

As a result of this negligence, on March 8, Massoud Rajavi, leader of the Mojahedin-e Khalq Organization who has been living in hiding for nearly two decades due to fear of criminal prosecution and has been leaving occasional voice messages for members of his cult, broadcast a message to members of his terror cells known as”rebel centers”in which he ordered them to make use of weapons and initiate widespread assassinations throughout Iran.

This order of the MKO leader clearly demonstrates adoption of a violent strategy towards the judicial process and the court hearing on March 8 and 9, 2021 where a large number of former members filed a complaint about years of torture and violation of human rights by this group.

Fearing that ex-members of his cult sue him in court in Tehran and disregarding dozens of international documents on MeK crimes, terrorist acts and violation of human rights, Massoud Rajavi has escaped forward and invited Iranian officials to appear in an international court. On the other hand, former members and survivors of this terrorist group demand to go to an international court of law along with Massoud Rajavi and other leaders of this group to be fairly judged. Do Massoud Rajavi and his wife, as leaders of this cult, dare to appear in an international court of law before the victims of the crimes they have committed? And are EU officials and international institutions based in this continent ready to hold such a trial? This is the legal obligation of European officials and institutions. The MeK is located in Europe and its members travel freely in it. Therefore, the group’s previous crimes and the violent threats its leader made on March 8 as well as any upcoming terrorist acts and assassinations in Iran, are partly the responsibility of the countries which have sheltered this group.

In his message which promoted violence, leader of the MeK called on his elements to provide his rebel centers, with names and addresses of employees of Iran’s military, security and judicial institutions so that for what he calls the”Great Day of Justice”, weapons can be fired at their chests! In the message, Rajavi made mention of the early years after the 1979 revolution when his group’s death squads assassinated Iranian civilians and officials. He requested the rebel centers to do the same.

As mentioned, numerous reports have been published by the research centers, governmental institutions and western intelligence agencies about this cult and its threats.

The FBI’s 1987 report; a Court of Appeals document on June 25, 1999, based on a CIA Report; US Government Statement in 1997; a report by Canada’s SIRC in 1992; US Department of Justice’s report in April 2009; State Department’s Reports in 2004, 2005, and 2006; Executive Order No. 13224 by the US Secretary of State on Terrorist Financing of the National Council of Resistance and the Mojahedin-e Khalq Organization in August 2003; US Court of Appeals’ verdicts in 1999, 2005, and 2009; FBI’s reports in August 2002 and November 2004; a report by the American Institute for Political Studies (IPS) in 2012; a 2005 Human Rights Watch report named No Exit; German BfV agency’s reports in 2004 and 2005; a document regarding the MEK’s inclusion in the European Union terrorist list printed in the Official Journal of the Union in December 2007; a report by security service of North Rhine-Westphalia State in October 2005; the 2008 North Rhine-Westphalia State Protection Office’s Report; Foreign Affairs Committee of the British Parliament’s report in July 2003; the British Foreign Relations Committee’s report in July 2004; official Statement by the UK Foreign Secretary in May 2008; Statement by the French Minister for Justice in June 2003; Swedish Government Resolution on 2 September 2004, and Swedish Immigration Office Decision against the MEK; EU Declaration on 5 April 2002; the US Deputy Secretary of State’s reports to Congress and the Foreign Affairs Committee of House of Representatives in October 1994; the 2009 Rand Corporation’s report; Saban Center for Middle East Policy’s report in June 2009; Columbia Court of Appeals’ report in 2010; and US Council on Foreign Relations’ report in July 2014.

These documents, reports and verdicts are only part of what proves the violence and terrorism of the Mojahedin. The group, which was disarmed in 2003 as a militant group affiliated with Saddam Hussein’s regime following the US invasion of Iraq, has since acted in Europe, pretending itself as a political group opposed to the Iranian government. However, the group’s recent move to establish terror cells in Iran and their acts of sabotage and violence, which is officially admitted and prompted by the group, proved that the MeK is still a militant cult and a far cry from becoming an opposition group. One should add to it the recent order of Massoud Rajavi to the terror cells to identify Iranian citizens working in judicial and military institutions and “execute justice on them”.

The families of terror victims in Iran once again call on all international authorities and institutions in the European Union to, along with restricting the activities of this group in Europe, prosecute the leaders of this terrorist group in an international court with the presence of their victims. We also declare our full readiness to cooperate in this process by providing the required documents to the responsible institutions.

To:
European Commission
Council of the European Union
European parliament
Secretariat of the European Parliament
European Court of Human Rights
Court of Justice of the European Union
Council of Europe Committee on Counter-Terrorism

Sincerely yours,
Habilian Association (Families of Iranian victims of terrorism)
March 12, 2021

March 14, 2021 0 comment

Mujahedin Khalq Organization as a terrorist group

IRI files a lawsuit in MEK’s host countries

Since the Islamic Revolution of Iran in February 1979, the MEK’s militia has killed over 12000 Iranian civilians. The group’s long record of crimes has been corroborated by a number of reports and documents published by Iranian and international organizations. On one hand MEK has been forced to work under the cover of political processes, but on the other hand it’s natural tendency for radicalism drives it to violence. That’s why the group is forming terror cells throughout the Iranian cities under various names to prove its existence for its supporters and disappointed rank and files. What follows is an interview with Dr. Salman Omrani, faculty member of Imam Sadiq University Law School.

Habilian: As you know, MEK has been forming and expanding terror cells for acts of sabotage in recent years under the name of “rebel centers”. These terror cells are on a mission to launch arson attacks on the government and private buildings. MEK actively uses internet to provoke unrests and provide trainings for group attacks on police forces or demolition of power lines, etc. What’s your take on these activities?

Dr. Omrani: Needless to say, the primary basis for the establishment of this group before the Islamic Revolution was political change through violence, assassination, killing, destruction and terrorizing civilians and government officials and they kept the strategy after the Islamic Revolution. Although, the group has tried to represent a political face in the recent years, it made no changes in its organizational activities and it has tried to keep its armed capability. In fact, the reorganization of the forces in the form of rebel centers is an effort to retrieve the former strategy and declare power as an armed group. Regarding the behaviors you mentioned, training and inciting people to violence is an act of crime in all the legal systems and will be dealt with decisively. Without a shadow of a doubt these behaviors are criminal offenses.

Habilian: MEK leaders have repeatedly supported their terror cells and released videos of their activities in their media, showing that they are keeping pictures of the MEK leaders. Moreover, some high-ranking MEK members as Mehdi Barai has quite openly referred to their “rebel cells” as their former militia known as the National Liberation Army. They are apparently moving towards violent and terrorist acts. Would you please explain the potential legal consequences of these activities for the MEK?

Dr. Omrani: The groups’ strategy for not being listed as a terrorist group has made them adopt more meticulous stances towards terrorist activities. They have made a great deal of effort not to take credit for terrorist behaviors lest they suffer legal consequences. However, as you mentioned, the key members of the group have acknowledged the formation of these centers to prove themselves over other opposition groups. This matter is of critical importance as the attribution process and assessing the criminal responsibility of terrorist groups are extremely complicated in legal proceedings. Sometimes, attributing a criminal act to an organization is quite impossible owing to the group’s terrorist nature and its complex organizational communications and the judge can only deal with the crimes committed by the people at the scene. Since the well-known members of the MEK have openly took responsibility for the creation of these [terror] cells and their criminal sabotage acts, the ground has been prepared for criminal prosecution of this group in the courts of other countries. Based on these positions, the IRI government can file a lawsuit in every country hosting the organization. In other words, classifying the political and militant wings of the MEK in these countries is well within the capacity [of Iran]. Additionally, their assets will be frozen and given to victims of their criminal attacks through a litigation in hosting countries. Finally, their members will be tried and expelled from those countries.

Habilian: How about the governments providing support for the group? Would they be prosecuted as well?

Dr. Omrani: Backing and facilitating terrorist crimes constitute a crime under international law and the domestic laws of most countries and the governments are obliged to block all the possible pathways to terrorism. Proving the group’s terrorist nature paves the ground for condemning their political and financial supporters as their accomplices in terror acts or promoting terrorism. There is also potential that the group’s supporting countries ask for compensation fund caused by the group’s crimes.

Habilian: A few weeks ago, MEK leader’s account in one of the social media platforms had been temporarily suspended for promoting terrorism and violence. It indicates the group tends to turn back to its violent and extremist nature, despite its claims of pursing a political and democratic path, which can be under the influence of Trump administrations’ coming to power in 2016 and their hope for him taking his seat again in the Oval Office. What’s your take on this?

Dr. Omrani: Indeed! Unfortunately upholding a law and implementing justice in the international sphere is more related to political matters than legal rules and regulations and MEK has regulated his activities in full knowledge of this reality. This is also probable that following the changes in the US administration, the group’s crimes and stances undergo changes, refraining from taking credit for the operations. However, this will not erase their recent activities and there is still potential for prosecuting the group in their hosting or other countries.

March 10, 2021 0 comment

Mujahedin Khalq; A proxy force

The Mojahedin-e Khalq in Post-Trump period

led by Maryam Rajavi, the Organization (MKO) is going through a very difficult situation that can be called the post-Trump period. On the other hand, the Corona virus is killing the members of this group one after another, while the wishes of Maryam Rajavi, John Bolton and their former leader Donald Trump, to celebrate the overthrow of the Iranian government in Tehran’s Azadi Square have faded.

With rising of criticism and dissatisfaction among the MKO members concerning its leadership, a number of them have recently split from the group; an issue that has been admitted by the MKO ringleaders.

Rajavi and Trump

The group’s commander knows that the situation differs from what they experienced in in Iraq, where they were supported for many years by Saddam Hussein’s regime. They know very well that space is much freer in Albania, and they cannot control their members as easily as they did in Iraq. The issue of controlling the members who lived in this dark tunnel for 40 years and are now seeking freedom and exit has become a problem for Maryam Rajavi and her companions.

Therefore, the continuous contradictions and the gradual death that has overshadowed Rajavi’s group, has entered its final stage with the collapse of Trump. Maryam Rajavi is well aware that the policy of deception, lying and brainwashing, which were carried out by her missing husband and then by herself is no longer useful to persuade the members of the group to stay.

Rajavi sought to prevent separation of the group’s members by this deception that the government in Iran would be overthrown by entering of Trump to the White House. She had promised her members that this goal would be achieved if they used all their best. In the same way, Rajavi’s husband used to force the members to work eighteen hours a day in order to deprive them of the opportunity to think about their future.

At the end, nothing new was happened. The analysis and prediction of Maryam Rajavi and some of her American supporters was nothing but an illusion. For this reason, the leadership of this Iranian group has difficulty in convincing its members to stay. In the time of Saddam Hussein and with his support for Massoud Rajavi, members could be somehow controlled, but now it is very difficult for Rajavi to act in the heart of Europe, and to be able to deceive the members of the group as before.

By Ahmad Jafar Alsaedi – Translated by Habilian

February 13, 2021 0 comment

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