Sahar Family Website

Mujahedin Khalq Organization members' families

Letters of the Iranian families of MKO victims in Iraq

The families of the members trapped in the Rajavi Cult in Iraq, who have been picketing outside the Ashraf Garrison for more than two years and merely wish to visit their loved ones and know about their situations, have written a letter to the Prime Minister of Iraq Mr. Nuri Maleki and the UN Representative in Iraq Mr. Martin Kobler.

The texts of the two letters are as below:

Letter to the UN Representative

Dear Mr. Kobler
With regards, we are a number of Iranian families picketing outside Ashraf Garrison whose loved ones have been held captive by the Mojahedin-e Khalq Organization (MKO) for many years and we are still been denied visits with them yet.
Now that they are transferred to Camp Liberty, we wish to have face to face meetings with our loved ones who are staying in that camp.
We urge you to adopt the means in order to facilitate the families to reach this goal and have meeting with their relatives.
We wish to thank you in advance for your efforts and we are anxiously waiting to hear good news from you.

Best Wishes
Families picketing outside Ashraf Garrison
2012/4/13

Letter to the Prime Minister

Dear Mr. Nuri Maleki
In the name of God
With best regards, we are a number of Iranian families picketing outside the Ashraf Garrison and we have the following requests:
1. We wish to visit our loved ones immediately in Camp Liberty in order to make sure about their circumstances.
2. We support your efforts as well as the Iraqi Government to separate the rank and file from the leaders of the MKO and we demand for the recognition of their asylum states as individuals rather than as an organization.
3. We also request to have a meeting with your representative in Baghdad in order to explain our suggestions and requests as well as informing you about the MKO practices regarding our loved ones in Ashraf and in Liberty.
We wish to thank you in advance and your government and we are anxiously waiting for the outcome of your efforts.

Best Wishes
Families picketing outside Ashraf Garrison

April 19, 2012 0 comment

MEK Camp Ashraf

What must be done to reach “liberty”?

On Thursday March 8, 2012, at 14.00 hours local time, some 400 individuals of the Rajavi cult were moved to camp Liberty using 18 closed, protected coaches.

According to the agreement reached between the Iraqi government and UN officials, the MKO will initially evacuate Ashraf garrison and then the inhabitants will be transferred to another location in Iraq and then they will be moved to a third country.

Whether staying in the cultic Ashraf garrison or moving from it, staying in Iraq or going to another country, or going to Europe or to some other place, will not make any difference so long as the cultic structure of the MKO – which is the basis of its terrorist characteristic – is in place and destructive mind control techniques are systematically applied. What all entities are in agreement with is that the Ashraf inhabitants must enjoy the minimum of freedom.

Will the individuals have the right to visit their close relatives in the new base? Will they have access to the outside world? Will they be able to think freely and decide for their own destiny? Will the brainwashing techniques still be in use? Will the families’ concern about their loved ones eventually be ended? Unfortunately those parties who praise the MKO just for accepting to leave Ashraf garrison are not ready to answer these questions.

We must act in the interests of the suffering families who have no voice in this dilemma. Each party is after their own political interests. Rajavi’s desire is to keep the cultic structure of his group intact and keep the members isolated from the outside world. So far, thanks to the weak positions adopted by the parties involved, not only has he achieved that goal, but apparently he must be rewarded and we must come to the conclusion that he is no longer a terrorist.

The suffering families of the members trapped inside the MKO will stay firm in their struggle until they reach their goal which is for their loved ones to have the chance to think freely and decide independently, and they will not be deceived. The only way their loved ones can reach liberty is to insist on the just demands they have been demanding for the last two years outside Ashraf garrison.

The latest pictures of the families

March 12, 2012 0 comment

USA

Open letter of SFF to US Secretary of State

Ms. Hillary Rodham Clinton
US State Department

Dear Ms. Secretary, Open letter of SFF to US Secretary of State

With regards, on behalf of the ex-members and families picketing outside the Ashraf garrison in Iraq we wish to draw your attention to the following:

We were informed that you have stated: “M.E.K. cooperation in the successful and peaceful closure of Camp Ashraf” will be “a key factor in any decision” on its longstanding request that the State Department lift its terrorist designation.

We have no argument on lifting its terrorist designation or not, since it is not our concern and has no effect on our tasks. This is up to the US administration which will of course act on national and political interests. As far as we are concerned, we are seeking a humanitarian goal to which no government (including Iraq and the US) and no international organization has paid any proper attention.

The MEK led by Massoud Rajavi is a destructive mind control cult which is manipulating its members using psychological techniques in order to keep them captive. The families of the members have been sitting outside the Ashraf garrison for more than two years with the request of just visiting their loved ones freely. This request has been completely denied by Rajavi. He is afraid that once these people meet their families and have the smallest access to the outside world their minds would break free and they would no longer stay in the cult. Only once Rajavi accepts this request we can say that he has cooperated.

Moving from ‘Ashraf’ to ‘Liberty’ would not be good for anyone as long as its cultic structure is kept intact. It is just like moving an armed mine from one place to another. If the mine is defused (the cult’s structure is changed) and left where it is, it would be much more beneficial than moving it to another place without defusing it. Merely moving the cult physically without changing its cultic relationship which is the basis of its terrorist characteristic will have no effect whatsoever.

The Rajavi cult has claimed that since the invasion of Iraq by the allied forces it has abandoned its weapons and was not involved in any terrorist activities. But you know well that this cult was forced to be disarmed by the American Forces and had no means to get engaged in military actions. Rajavi then said that “we want the owner of the weapon rather than the weapon itself” and vowed to his followers that they would be given modern weapons by the Americans. Rajavi gave the weapons to keep the cultic structure of the MEK. Now, Rajavi is prepared to give up the Ashraf garrison in order to keep its inhabitants and his organization intact. By doing so he would be able to establish another “Ashraf” elsewhere. This by no means is considered as “cooperation” since when being unarmed, Rajavi gave up his weapons but as soon as the cult was de-proscribed by the EU, he issued a statement and claimed his weapons back.

As far as the suffering families are concerned, there are 3400 captives in the hand of Rajavi who have no access whatsoever with the outside world no matter being in Ashraf or in Liberty. Rajavi is prepared to pull back provided he is able to keep his cultic structure and rule over his followers. So long as he is keeping his cult as it is he is able to conduct terrorism. Unfortunately the western governments as well as the international organizations in the past 9 years have played Saddam Hussein’s role for the MEK and have restored Rajavi’s physical and psychological rule and influence over his captive members.

There are talks about Ashraf inhabitants. Who is their representative? Is the self-appointed totalitarian leader of a mind control destructive cult recognized to talk on their behalf? Why there are always talks about terrorism but not about mind control? You know well that the latter is the base of the former. Is the US administration making the same mistake as was mentioned in the RAND report and is preserving a cult with terrorist application?

The Sahar Family Foundation (SFF) has always emphasized that without involving the families there would be no solution for the dilemma, and unfortunately the US administration that plays a vital role in the case pays no attention to this key factor and sill tries to solve the problem without engaging the true representatives of Ashraf inhabitants. We are afraid that in this case this difficulty will remain unsolved.

March 5, 2012 0 comment

Former members of the MEK

MKO defector declares separation

Mr. Khoda Bakhsh Mirian left the Mujahedin Khalq Organization and joined Iraqi forces on February 14, 2012 and stepped in the free world declared his separation from the group in a brief letter to Sahar Family Foundation in Baghdad.

Immediately after he moved to the hotel allocated to former members, Mr. Mirian called his family who had previously come to camp Ashraf several times.

The following is his statement:

In the Name of God
I am Khoda Bakhsh Mirian. Here, I announce my separation from the Cult of Rajavi. Although it took me 10 years to leave the cult, finally I could make the decision and release myself.

Definitely, my family paid the price of my mistake more than I did. I wasted ten best years of my life, seeing and hearing what I hardly ever can describe, because all those sufferings and pains will be reviewed in my mind.

Last night I contacted a friend of mine after ten years. He told me:”leaving a cult is like revival of the dead. It is first of all unbelievable for ourselves.”

Now, I have just one desire and that is the release of my friends who are imprisoned in the cult. I don’t want others to bear a fate like mine.

Khoda Bakhsh Mirian – Baghdad

February 26, 2012 0 comment

Former members of the MEK

Mr. Najarian declares his separation from MKO

I am Mohammad Reza Najarian, former member of the Mujahedin Khalq Organization. Here, I declare my separation from the cult of Rajavi [the MKO].

I missed about 11 years of my life as a member of the cult. I had left my family, my life, my younghood and all my other favorites for the sake of MKO and its leader, and the illusion of struggle for prosperity of the Iranian nation.

After I joined the cult in Iraq, I underwent too much suffering for over a decade. At least I came to the painful fact that the organization had abused me and thousands of other members who had once joined it devotedly and sincerely. It was nothing but a destructive cult of personality that was due to satisfy the interests of Rajavi.

I came up to make the decision so late because I was captured in the cult-like atmosphere of the group. The organization had cut us off the outside world and had barred the infiltration of any news or information from the world.

My family had several times come to Camp Ashraf during the past three years but I never got informed that my old parent had born the sufferings of such a trip to visit me.

I declare that the only thing that is not worth in his view is the life of human beings.

Translated by Nejat Society,

January 31, 2012 0 comment

Open Letter from Sahar Family Foundation to Martin Kobler

Sahar Family Foundation has written a letter to the Special Representative of the United Nations Secretary-General for Iraq, Mr Martin Kobler, regarding the latest developments at the base of the Rajavi cult in Iraq.

The text of the letter is below:

United Nations Assistance Mission for Iraq (UNAMI)
Mr. Martin Kobler,

With kind respects and best wishes for your task regarding the issue of the inhabitants of Camp New Iraq (formerly Ashraf garrison), we would like to inform you of the following:

According to information gained from inside Ashraf garrison, Massoud Rajavi arranged a video conference with Ashraf inhabitants towards the end of September 2011. Participation in this session was mandatory for all cult members residing in Ashraf. In this conference, which lasted for 8 continuous hours, Rajavi tried to prepare his followers for the possible UN interviews beforehand.

He directly threatened members of his cult that during interviews they should not say or write anything but their names and the period they have been in Ashraf garrison, and should not mention anything about wishing to leave the base of the cult since this would produce severe consequences for them.

In his lengthy speech, Rajavi tried to frighten people against any and every possible UN action and emphasized that they would gain no benefit from the UN interviews and the UN intervention and it could even harm them. He told them that if they do anything except what he has asked them to do they would be arrested and handed over to the Iranian regime where they would be tortured and executed.

During his speech, Rajavi said that the Iraqi government, the EU, the UN, the ICRC and any other agency cannot make any decisions and the US is the only agency that makes all the decisions. In this respect he tried to give hope to his followers that with the US administration’s approval, the conditions that the organization used to enjoy under Saddam Hussein would be reinstated.

The information received from Ashraf garrison also indicates that all members have been put on a state of alert against the Iraqi forces and specific plans have been made in this regard. These plans are mainly defensive but some plans for ambushing the Iraqi forces and disarming them have also been made. The members are told that after disarming the Iraqi forces they should hand over the captured weapons to their superiors and wait to be told what to do next. It should be mentioned that during the April clash with the Iraqi forces some weapons were seized from Iraqi soldiers which are still being held by the Rajavi cult.

There has also been news that the leaders of the cult are actively seeking another clash with the Iraqi forces in order to eliminate some of their discontented members as they did in previous cases. This has been done several times in the MeK cult before. During the invasion of Iraq by allied forces in 2003, the leaders of the Rajavi cult murdered some of those who wanted to leave and later announced that they had been killed during the bombardments. In the following years as more dissidents fled Ashraf garrison it was revealed that of the over 50 persons that the MeK claimed were killed as the result of the bombardments, a maximum number of 5 had actually been killed in this way and the rest were eliminated by the cult itself.

What we would specifically like to draw your attention to is that inside Ashraf garrison the brainwashing sessions called “current operations” are proceeding with intensity. The reason for these delays and time-killing by the leaders of the cult and preventing the UN from carrying out its tasks is that they want to identify those who are potential deserters and also to mentally prepare their members for the interviews.

We therefore on behalf of the suffering families, who are the only right representatives of the inhabitants of the garrison and are truly following their best interests, urge you to adopt the following means.

– Arrange for the hundreds of families of members, who have been picketing outside the garrison for nearly two years and merely request to visit their loved ones which the leaders of the cult have denied, to visit the inhabitants during the transfer and interview process.

– Make sure that such meetings are carried out without the presence of the MeK officials. It is necessary for the International Red Cross and preferably the next of kin of interviewees to be present in order to gain the rapport and trust of the asylum seekers.

– Pass adequate information about their actual situation to these people since they have been away from the real world for many years and have no clue whatsoever about the circumstances outside the cult. Their only source of knowledge has been the cult leaders, so they must be well informed beforehand.

As before, Sahar Family Foundation declares its readiness for all possible cooperation. We would like to share all our resources in any appropriate way with the international organizations in order to reach a quick and peaceful solution for the dilemma of Ashraf garrison.

Sahar Family Foundation
Baghdad, 3 January 2012

Copy to:
Mr. Daniel Fried, U.S. Special Adviser on Camp Ashraf
Mr. Jean de-Ruyt, EU foreign policy adviser on Camp Ashraf

January 5, 2012 0 comment

Mujahedin Khalq Organization members' families

The achievements of two years of families picketing

As you know, an agreement has been struck between UNAMI, the Iraqi Government and the leaders of the Mojahedin Khalq Organisation according to which the camp should be evacuated by the end of year 2011.

Also, according to this agreement the deportation of Mojahedin Khalq will be delayed by another 6 months in which time the UNHCR would be able to register the residents and carry out individual interviews in preparation to transfer them to other countries.

According to the Memorandum of Understanding, an initial 400 of the residents of Camp Ashraf are to be transferred to the former American Camp Liberty adjacent to Baghdad Airport, but to this day, 30th December 2011, the leaders of the Rajavi cult have rejected the planned transfer by bringing all sorts of reasons and excuses, clearly against the agreements accepted by the other two parties involved (UNAMI and the GOI).

Today it is clear to everyone that the leaders of the Rajavi cult like all similar cults anywhere in the world which use destructive mind control methods do not see themselves bound by their words or their signatures. It is now clear that they are more than anything else afraid that their forces (hostages) would run away during this transfer. Sooner or later, Rajavi will have to give up Ashraf garrison – which is situated on land illegally and forcefully confiscated by his benefactor Saddam Hussein where he built a military base which he later gifted to the Mojahedin Khalq. Sooner or later he will have to face the fact that the members will be deported from Iraq.

It is worth mentioning the continuous hard work of the families of the people trapped inside the camp who have stayed by the camp for the last two years and demanded their human rights from their base, which they call Freedom City, built adjacent to Camp Ashraf. They exposed the lies of Rajavi and they proved that the leader of the Mojahedin Khalq cult has no respect whatsoever for the people and the loved ones taken hostage inside the camp.

it is the fathers, mothers, children and spouses of the trapped people who represent the best interest of the hostages

It is now clear to everyone that it is the fathers, mothers, children and spouses of the trapped people who represent the best interest of the hostages and not the leaders of the cult.

The agreement between all parties to sort out the problem of Camp Ashraf could not have been achieved without the hard work and the suffering of these families, especially during the last two years. They have worked flat out for the last two years in Freedom City, adjacent to Camp Ashraf for two years and intend to do so for as long as it takes. It is clear that even after the transfer of Rajavi’s hostages to a new location, the families will not rest until they achieve their minimum demand of private visits with their loved ones. The hope of reaching this goal is now greater and nearer than ever and the number of families is continually increasing in number. They have all decided to finish the quest that began two years ago and to not give up until they have achieved their simple humanitarian demand of ‘Right of Visits’ with their captured relatives.

SFF on behalf of the picketing families would like to extend its appreciation to all the survivors and ex-members, as well as human rights activists in Iraq, Iran and other countries who have been aiding and supporting the families and helping their voices be heard in the world.

With the hope that one day soon the goal of the freedom of every one of our loved ones takes the tiredness of all these years off our bodies.

translated by Iran Interlink

January 3, 2012 0 comment

Former members of the MEK

Three Former members announce separation from the MKO

As it was previously reported, three residents of Camp Ashraf fled the camp on Friday December 2nd,2011 and joined families picketing in front of the Camp.

The following is the statement issued by the three to declare their separation from the MKO:

We, declare our separation from the terrorist cult of Mujahedin Khalq, noting that we were deceived and recruited by Massoud Rajavi and his agents who took us to camp Ashraf Iraq, under the pretext of giving us membership in an employment agency and sending us to Europe.

Once we found out what their real intention was, we tried to return but they threatened us to be handed to Iraqi Baath government that then would imprison us in Abu Quraib and from there we would be sent to Iran where we would allegedly be executed as the MKO members.

Thus, we were forced to spend the best part of our life in Camp Ashraf, imprisoned under daily psychological pressure. Self-criticism sessions and psychological torture were going on every day.

During recent clashes with Iraqi forces, they made us get involved in clashes with Iraqis. They told that the Iraqi soldiers had come there to arrest us and hand us to Iran where we would be certainly tortured and executed. Therefore we thought that we had to fight with Iraqi forces at any cost even our death.

Families’ presence in front of the Camp, created hope of a new life in our hearts and the fear of leaving the group and fear of Iraqi forces lowered in our heart. We were relatively assured that outside Ashraf there would be another life.

The loudspeakers through which families called their children were our only hope in that prison.

We hope that until the day the last resident is released, the presence of families and the sound of their loudspeakers not be ended.

Ultimately, we risked our lives and tried to release ourselves. We had worked on our plan for escape for several months.

We are thankful to the God that helped us escape the horrifying castle and join Iraqi forces.

During our presence in the MKO, we witnessed the atrocities the leaders committed against us and other members. This is our right to campaign against them in Iraqi judicial community as well as the international community for the years MKO leaders deprived us from our basic human rights that are respected by any dictator in any detainment.

Ali Qezel Qarshi entered the MKO in 1992

Sadeq Khavari entered the MKO in 2000

Mohammmad Khavari Golshirmiri entered the MKO in 2000

By SFF – Translated by Nejat Society

December 19, 2011 0 comment

Former members of the MEK

Three Ashraf Residents Escape the Cult of Rajavi

On Friday December 2nd, 2011, three residents of Ashraf Garrison escaped their headquarters and submitted to Iraqi forces. They then joined the families picketing in front of Camp Ashraf, in Azadi installation. Family members of one of the defectors were among the picketing families.
He said that he had heard his sister’s voice via loudspeakers and had recognized her. Thus he was encouraged to endanger his life and ran away.

“Thank God, I could release myself” he said. He hugged and kissed his brother and sister. The three escapees were warmly welcomed by the families who had tears of happiness in their eyes.

The defectors said that a lot of Ashraf residents are waiting for an opportunity to flee the camp and set themselves free.

The names of the new separated members will be soon published if they are willing to.

Translated by Nejat Society

December 4, 2011 0 comment

New documents and testimonies from Inside Camp Ashraf

Letter from Sahar Family Foundation to the UN Secretary General

Dear Mr. Secretary General

We wish hereby to apprise you of some information and suggestions as follows:

According to information received from inside Ashraf cultic garrison in Iraq about the April 8, 2011 incident (documents and testimonies are attached), Ms. Sediqeh Hosseini, then Secretary General of the MKO, gives instructions to Ms. Fereshteh Shoja, one of commanders of the NLA

based in Ashraf garrison in Iraq, as follows:

“… The Iraqis have informed us that on April 8 they want to take back some parts of the north of Ashraf and return it to the farmers in the nearby village, which were confiscated in the time of Saddam Hussein and given to the MKO to expand Ashraf garrison. They have told us that they are informing us in advance to show that they have no other aim and they want to prevent any violent action and bloodshed on that day. But in this regard we have to arrange things in such a manner that we have some casualties. Also, there should be cameras ready to produce photos and films to record that day. The leader has instructed us that we must take political advantage as much as possible on that day. He has said that this is very important for our survival.”

Fereshteh Shoja calls her personnel and without informing them of the Iraqi’s ultimatum and their plans that they only want to peacefully take back some farm land back based on Iraqi court verdicts, and tells them:

“… There have been instructions from higher levels for a state of alert since the Iraqis are moving a unit and adding to their forces and information we received indicates that the Iranian regime’s elements are along the Iraqi forces which aim to attack our base and capture some people and take them to Iran where they would be tortured and executed. Therefore we all have to be on alert and do not let the Iraqi forces get into the garrison and fulfill their goal.”

On the day of incident (April 8, 2011), the Iraqi forces moved into the garrison from the northern part in order to divide the farmers’ lands which ended in conflict and 36 people were killed and some wounded. Beforehand Fereshteh Shoja had said to her combatants that:

“The Iraqis are using gas cartridges just to frighten you and capture you therefore you should not be afraid of anything. Move forward and stop them by any means you can even using stone and wood, and do not let them enter the garrison and arrest you and hand you over to the elements of the Iranian regime who are with them under any circumstances.”

The inhabitants of Ashraf garrison did not know that the Iraqis merely want to take a part on the north of the garrison according to the Iraqi court verdicts and return them to their rightful owners. They also did not know that the leaders were informed beforehand. The leaders of the garrison had deceived the inhabitants and let them believe that the Iraqis intended to arrest some and send them to Iran to be tortured and executed. Apparently the Iraqis’ policy to give the leaders prior knowledge of their intention in order to stop violence and bloodshed worked to the opposite and they let the leaders of the MKO arrange things for more casualties and they managed to film the incident and take pictures for their political and propaganda interests.

Accurate assessments made about the atmosphere inside Ashraf garrison show that at least 80% of the inhabitants are there against their own will and if the situation is ready and they have the freedom to make an independent decision they would definitely leave the organization. These people have no motivation to resist against the Iraqi authorities and not to disobey the verdicts of the Iraqi courts. They have been deceived and forced to do so and some have lost their lives in this way for nothing.

It is worth mentioning that the MKO did not send its higher level members for this conflict and tried to send discontented and lower level members through deception and giving false information and by using the phobia of being arrested and sent to Iran. The MKO leaders wanted to get rid of the opposing members and also to use their blood for propaganda. Of course it must be said that the majority of the members did not accept to counter the Iraqi forces entering the base.
What was mentioned above is not a secret to the American forces and the international authorities and they all know the situation well, but some international political interests are at stake which want the garrison to stay intact at any cost and for many to stay in captivity and isolation for many more years. Those who do not fulfill their international duty in this regards are surely responsible toward the confined inhabitants of the garrison and their suffering families. Sooner or later Ashraf garrison will be dissolved and the cult members will be freed and then those who kept silent against Rajavi’s crimes and supported him openly and covertly, and still consider him, despite many documents that he has held the members as hostages inside the garrison, as the representative of the captives will be ashamed of themselves.

Anyway, what we think is essential to be said in order to save the lives of the inhabitants of Ashraf inhabitants and to stop more people being sacrificed by Rajavi and to prevent a human catastrophe are mentioned briefly below:

– An overall assessment must be made of the internal situation of the garrison by making thorough interviews by international authorities of those who recently managed to escape from the garrison taking grave risks. It must be made clear whether the inhabitants of Ashraf are there voluntarily or whether Ashraf is a huge confinement camp that the individuals have to escape from at any cost.

– The asylum procedure of Ashraf inhabitants must be conducted individually and without the presence of any MKO officials. The main reason for the present deadlock is that during the past 8 years both the American forces and the international authorities and organizations, in order to keep the MKO intact, have had their contacts with the leaders and they did not approach the rank and file members at all. The MKO members based in Ashraf have no idea of the outside world and what is happening there.

– Any misleading with the cost of the blood of the hostages held by Rajavi inside the garrison must be prevented. Also Rajavi and his deeds must not be justified by treating him as the representative of the hostages inside the garrison.

– The deeds of Rajavi and other leaders of the MKO as hostage takers and those who still, after their sponsor Saddam Hussein has fallen, do not open the gates of the garrison and do not let the captives have access to the outside world must be revealed. They did not hesitate to kill and let die and put members in solitary confinement and under torture.

– In a realistic approach and solution seeking, the sovereignty of Iraq and its nation and government must be recognized. Accepting the natural right and demand of the government and parliament of Iraq and respect for the deadline which is quite seriously followed is part of the responsibility of the international community. Naturally disregarding and challenging this just and lawful demand would put the Iraqi government in a situation that has to decide exclusively and the international organizations who did not intervene and did not give assistance will bear the responsibility.