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The Lavish Lifestyle of Iranian Opposition Figure Maryam Rajavi

An Iranian opposition figure exiled in France, Maryam Rajavi reportedly enjoys a lavish lifestyle, ranging from spas to five-star palaces, according to reports from Le Canard Enchaîné. Prosecutors in the Île-de-France and Hauts-de-France regions have been informed of money laundering.

This information will cause a stir among activists of the People’s Mujahideen Organization of Iran (PMOI/MEK). Le Canard Enchaîné reveals in its Wednesday edition the lavish lifestyle of Iranian opposition figure Maryam Rajavi, exiled in France. According to information from the web-footed bird, which Europe 1 can confirm, she and her inner circle spent €130,000 last year alone on thermal spas, spas, and five-star hotels.
Biarritz, Deauville, Evian, and Vichy… Since at least 2005, Maryam Rajavi has stayed in these upscale seaside resorts several times a year. She is systematically surrounded by around ten people.
The bills are paid in cash for astronomical amounts: €65,000 in December 2023 in a five-star hotel in Vichy, or €38,140 last spring in a palace in Biarritz.

Suspicions of money laundering

These proceeds could come from the PMOI. In any case, according to information from Europe 1, this is what the French justice system is currently investigating, since between December and last month, two reports under Article 40 of the French Code of Criminal Procedure for suspected money laundering were sent to prosecutors in the Île-de-France and Hauts-de-France regions. They concern front companies affiliated with the PMOI.
The movement was classified as a terrorist organization by the United States and the European Union between 1997 and 2013. It organizes an annual fundraising campaign for its activists and supporters. Last year alone, more than €7 million was reportedly raised.

William Molinié – europe1.fr

March 25, 2025 0 comments

Maryam Rajavi

French paper exposes Maryam Rajavi’s lavish lifestyle

Maryam Rajavi, the ringleader of the Mujahideen-e-Khalq (MEK) terror organization enjoys a lifestyle of opulent luxury far removed from the humble existence of her followers, according to a recent exposé in the French weekly Le Canard enchaîné.

The satirical newspaper details how Rajavi and an entourage of eleven, including a bodyguard and attendant, spent nearly €29,000 in cash at a prestigious spa in Vichy, France, over the Christmas and New Year holidays. The group booked the entire spa, located in a five-star hotel built by Napoleon III, for their exclusive use, indulging in hydrotherapy, massages, and personal coaching.

Le Canard enchaîné notes Rajavi, known as the “Sun of the Revolution” within the MEK, has made similar lavish trips to luxury resorts over the years, racking up expenses exceeding €130,000 in the past year alone – all paid in cash. The MEK claims it exists off of donations.

This extravagance sharply contrasts with the conditions of most MEK members, who reside in the Ashraf-3 camp in Albania. Sources indicate these members live under strict conditions and are not allowed to leave the camp, leading austere lives in service to the organization.

A former member of 38 years recently revealed to the Tehran Times that members are required to follow strict schedules and are usually sleep-deprived. Older members of the MEK are now grappling with various health issues, following years of difficult living conditions.

Masoud Rajavi dead since 2003

Masoud Rajavi, who assumed leadership of the MEK in 1979, has not been seen publicly since 2003. His wife, Maryam (née Qajar-Azodanlu), effectively took over his role after his disappearance. However, the MEK continues to release decrees and statements purportedly issued by Masoud, perpetuating the illusion that the notorious terrorist is still alive. In its exposé, Le Canard enchaîné confirms that Masoud has in fact been dead since 2003.

Sources tell the Tehran Times that the majority of MEK members believe Masoud is still alive but has gone into hiding.

The MEK terrorist organization has slaughtered over 23,000 Iranians in the past four and a half decades. Western states have been offering shelter and political support to the group.

March 25, 2025 0 comments

Mujahedin Khalq; A proxy force

Concerns over MEK’s potential Influence in Congress

The Mujahedin-e-Khalq (MEK) has renewed its efforts to position itself as a credible opposition movement to the Islamic Republic. The recent outcome of the group’s lobbying activities has been a resolution submitted by 160 congressmen. However, a comprehensive new report from the Congressional Research Service critically assesses these ongoing efforts, underscoring significant concerns regarding the MEK’s extremist ideological origins, historical involvement in terrorism, documented human rights abuses, and notably weak popular support among Iranians both domestically and within the diaspora.

These serious issues about the MEK’s background indicate that endorsing the group not only contradicts democratic values but also undermines the genuine democratic efforts of the Iranians.

The Key Point

A new report from the Congressional Research Service (CRS) details the MEK’s tricky history and its current lobbying efforts in the US, including:
The organization was founded on extremist ideologies combining Marxism with radical Islamism.
It has a documented history of violence and terrorism, including assassinations of American personnel in the 1970s. Historically, the MEK actively supported Ayatollah Khomeini’s rise to power and endorsed the 1979 U.S. Embassy hostage crisis.

The organization functions under a highly coercive, cult-like structure that enforces strict obedience to leader Massoud Rajavi through physical, psychological, and financial coercion.

The cult-like totalitarian structure enables extensive lobbying campaigns aimed at deceitfully legitimizing the group as a viable alternative to the Iranian government, despite minimal popular support among Iranians domestically and abroad.
U.S. officials who support the MEK claim their goal is to promote democracy and foster the emergence of a new, representative government in Iran. Yet aligning with the MEK directly undermines this objective. The group has cultivated a strongly negative perception among Iranians, who view the MEK as terrorists and traitors who sided with Saddam Hussein during the Iran-Iraq war.

The Cult of Rajavi Lobbying in the West

The MEK operates with a strict, hierarchical, cult-like organizational structure led by Massoud and Maryam Rajavi, imposed through highly coercive measures.

Members are reportedly subjected to forced family separations, including mandatory celibacy. The organization is also particularly cruel to females, conducting hysterectomies on them and repeatedly subjecting them to be raped and sexually abused by the leader, Massoud Rajavi.

Numerous credible reports detail systematic physical and psychological abuses, including allegations of torture and coercive control mechanisms. Dozens of members have been killed due to the mechanisms.
The MEK’s lobbying campaign is aimed at legitimizing the group’s leadership and securing political support, particularly in the U.S. and Europe.

These efforts have allowed the MEK to introduce and garner support for some pieces of legislation. The group pays exorbitant speaking fees to lawmakers to speak at their headquarters in Albania and their rallies in Paris, Berlin and Washington.

For example, speaker fees include over $400,000 paid to former Vice President Mike Pence and $180,000 or more to former National Security Advisor John Bolton.

And most recently, The MEK’s lobbying efforts also led to the introduction of H.Res 166, a deceiving resolution that claims to express “support for the Iranian people’s desires for a democratic, secular, and nonnuclear Republic of Iran,” but actually endorses Maryam Rajavi and her cult-like terrorist group.

Maryam Rajavi has deliberately misled lawmakers by asserting that the MEK would lead a transitional government in Iran, ostensibly restoring power to the people within six months. However, under her plan, this so-called transitional government would oversee the formation of a Constituent Assembly. While the MEK would technically be dissolved, it would still maintain control through the assembly, ensuring its continued grip on power.

Allying with the MEK hurts the interests of both Iranians and Americans

Engaging with the MEK poses serious risks to U.S. diplomatic credibility. The ideological foundations of the MEK, and its totalitarian system is essentially incompatible with the principles of democracy, human rights, and capitalism.
Ongoing documented human rights abuses and internal authoritarian practices severely undermine their claim of representing democratic aspirations.

The U.S. Department of State has explicitly indicated in recent assessments that the MEK does not constitute a credible democratic opposition force representing the Iranian people.

The MEK relies on front organizations to solicit contributions from expatriate Iranian communities, as well as American and European citizens. This practice has gotten the MEK in trouble in the past, such as when the FBI arrested seven MEK supporters for raising over $1 million for a sham charity at LAX.

Due to their ideology, harsh treatment of their members, terrorist activities against Iranian civilians and siding with Saddam Hussein against Iran, the MEK has little to no popular support within Iran and among the Iranian diaspora.
U.S. policy on Iran should not harm the interests of either the United States or the Iranian people. In particular, Washington should respect Iran’s territorial integrity and national unity and should refrain from engaging with armed groups or formerly terrorist designated organizations. Members of Congress should clearly distance themselves from the MEK, learn about its affiliates and avoid legitimizing them or engaging with them.

Mazda Parsi

March 17, 2025 0 comments

Mujahedin Khalq Organization's Propaganda System

The spit in the wind of MEK under the title of Mr. Mohammadian letter

The Mojahedin-e Khalq Organization (MEK, MKO) has claimed on its websites that Mr. Abdorrahman Mohammadian, a former member of the organization, wrote a letter to the Secretary-General of the United Nations and, according to the MEK, confessed that he had been paid for lying intentionally and knowingly for six years, and now he has suddenly changed and has appeared in the guise of an honest witness and wants to tell the truth, the whole truth, and nothing but the truth.
In the letter attributed to Mr. Mohammadian, first the scribe’s credentials as an honest witness are strongly questioned and then baseless and unsubstantiated matters are stated without providing any evidence or proof. In this letter, information is provided from Mr. Mohammadian, which is quite clear that it is a repetition of the MEK’s blatant lies of the past years, with the same usual language. The organization has not changed its rotten methods in these years.

The letter mentions the names of a large number of former members of the MEK and their Albanian friends, and claims without providing any evidence that they are all employees of the Iranian Ministry of Intelligence. This claim is made so categorically that it seems as if the author has a personnel list of all the employees of the Ministry of Intelligence and has access to important documents.

His previous writings, including Mr. Mohammadian’s book of memoirs, are in possession, and the literary and substantive difference between the current writing and his past writings is clearly evident. In his previous writings, Abdorrahman Mohammadian argues logically and cites examples and witnesses from his experiences within the MEK, examples that have been confirmed by hundreds of other former MEK members, but in the latest writing, in the same manner and illogical language of the MEK, he accuses anyone who disagrees without providing any evidence.

If we were to respond to each of the claims contained in this letter, it would be beyond the scope of this article and unnecessary, because the public and international organizations are fully familiar with the malicious tricks and tactics of the leaders of the Rajavi Cult (MEK) and have gained sufficient knowledge of this organization and its deceptive methods. However, we will mention some points below:
Mr. Abdorrahman Mohammadian did not mention in his letter about his departure from Albania, the time of his departure, and what happened to him after leaving Albania. He left Albania in February 2023, more than two years ago, without informing his friends, and went to Greece. Later, he stated that the reason for his departure was that the way back to Iran from Albania, where he had been eager to go, was closed. Apparently, after a year in Greece, this was not achieved and he decided to go to Germany. Of course, he posted his travel route on social media without observing confidentiality issues and shared it with his friends, which certainly made the MEK aware of this issue.

He announced on his Facebook page on December 29, 2024, by posting a picture that he was on the border between Slovakia and Hungary.
https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100083551448790

After this incident, which naturally alerted the leaders of the MEK to his attempt to illegally enter Slovakia, he was arrested and imprisoned in the country. After enduring more than a year of captivity in difficult conditions, the MEK approached him through a lawyer and, promising to release him from this predicament, presented him with a letter prepared by the Rajavi Cult, promising to seek his release on condition that it is published. He had experienced such exploitation by the MEK once again, when he was in a prisoner of war camp in Iraq. After the ceasefire was declared and due to the extremely bad conditions in the camp and the unknown fate of the prisoners, he fell into the trap of their envoy and his false promises without knowing anything about the MEK and went to Camp Ashraf in Iraq.

However, the analysis of the incident can be found at the end of Mr. Mohammadian’s letter, written by the leaders of the Rajavi’s Cult, to see what the real issue was. In this letter, the MEK actually railed against the establishment of the Albanian Nejat Society and its registration, as well as the production of the documentary “Mother, Love, Separation” and screening it in Albania, and attempted to denounce these cases after months of silence through the words of a prisoner trapped in a European country.

In this letter, regarding the President of the Albanian Nejat Society, it is claimed that “Erisa Idrizi married Sarfaraz Rahimi in 2017 and the Ministry of Intelligence employed her as a translator in the “ASILA Association” and announced the fake gathering of the “ASILA Women’s Association” with her. In 2024, Idrizi traveled to Doha, Qatar, with Aldo Sollulari, where they interviewed Soraya Abdollahi and several other intelligence agents who introduced themselves as disgruntled families of the MEK, and made a documentary in Albanian called “Mother, Love, Separation” which was completely false and was shown in Albanian cities to defame the MEK.”

Now the real agony of the MEK is revealed. Has Mr. Mohammadian seen the documentary “Mother, Love, Separation” which he declares to be “completely false”? Was he in Albania at the time of announcing the formation of the Albanian Nejat Society and preparing the relevant documentary, speaking so firmly about these two issues? If he could just state one instance of this “completely false”, for example, something was said that was a lie and the truth is another thing. It would be closer to the truth that he would submit to the illegitimate demands of the MEK under pressure, as he did in the past during his captivity in Iraq and now in captivity in Slovakia.

The reality is that the MEK is currently in a deadly impasse. The leader “Massoud Rajavi” has been missing for more than two decades. The head of the organization, Maryam Rajavi, along with about 100 people, preferred to flee before the turning point of 20th June 2023, and settled in Paris, leaving the headless body of the MEK in Albania to continue living in the illusion of fighting the Iranian regime, far from the real world, and from time to time the news of the death of one of them results the pain of their families.

Mr. Mohammadian’s letter will definitely not cure any of the countless pains of this bankrupt and exhausted organization. They should think of a fundamental solution. The best thing to do, so that at least the curse of the families is not behind them anymore, is to release those trapped in the Manez camp so that they can communicate with their families and not waste their lives for nothing anymore.

Nejat Society Albania – Tirana

March 17, 2025 0 comments

Missions of Nejat Society Mujahedin Khalq Organization as a terrorist group

The latest report of CRS on the Mojahedin-e Khalq

The Mojahedin-e-Khalq (MEK) or People’s Mojahedin Organization of Iran (PMOI)

CRS PRODUCT (LIBRARY OF CONGRESS)
CRS Product Type: Reports
Publication Date: 02/25/2025
Author: Thomas, Clayton

Summary

The Mojahedin-e-Khalq or MEK (also known as the People’s Mojahedin Organization of Iran, or PMOI) is an exiled Iranian opposition group. This report provides background on the group, including its origins, its 1997 designation by the U.S. Department of State as a Foreign Terrorist Organization (FTO), its 2012 delisting as an FTO, and other issues.

Background

The MEK was founded in Iran in the early 1960s to oppose the government of Shah Mohammad Reza Pahlavi, the last Shah of Iran. The group’s foundational ideology has been described by one historian as “a combination of Islam and Marxism.”1 Alongside and in periodic collaboration with other opposition groups of various ideological backgrounds, the MEK in the 1960s and 1970s sought the overthrow of the then-U.S.-backed Shah through guerilla attacks against the Iranian government and other targets. Some of these attacks killed U.S. military personnel stationed in Iran according to a 1994 congressionally mandated State Department report.2 The MEK participated in the 1979 Iranian Revolution and, after the fall of the Shah, “supported the takeover of the U.S. embassy, and opposed the release of American hostages” according to the 1994 State Department report.3 The MEK has denied involvement in the 1979 embassy seizure and other attacks on Americans in Iran.4

In the early 1980s, the MEK fell out with the newly established Islamic Republic led by Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini, and launched attacks against it (including a 1981 bombing that killed Iran’s chief justice and dozens of other officials); in response, the government detained and “indiscriminately” executed thousands of MEK supporters.5 MEK leader Massoud Rajavi and other MEK figures fled to France in 1981 as the crackdown intensified and founded the National Council of Resistance of Iran (NCRI) purporting to act as a government-in-exile. In 1985, Rajavi married Maryam Qajar-Azodanlu, who changed her name to Maryam Rajavi and became secretary-general of the MEK and the “President-Elect” of the NCRI. The Rajavis and other MEK members left France in 1986 for Iraq, where the MEK aided the government of Saddam Hussein in its war against Iran.6 Massoud Rajavi has reportedly not been seen in public since 2003 and his whereabouts are unknown; some analysts speculate that he is dead.7 According to the State Department report mentioned above, NCRI “disintegrated in the 1980s” as various partners “left the organization because of their objections to Rajavi’s dictatorial methods and his unilateral decision to ally with Iraq.”8

After the 1988 conclusion of the Iran-Iraq War, the MEK remained in Iraq, which they continued to use as a base for attacks both in Iran and abroad. Such attacks included coordinated assaults against Iranian diplomatic installations in 11 countries (including Iran’s Mission to the United Nations in New York) in April 1992, and the April 1999 assassination of the deputy chief of the Iranian Armed Forces General Staff.

Listing as a Foreign Terrorist Organization (FTO)

In October 1997, the State Department made the first designations pursuant to Section 219 of the Immigration and Nationality Act (as added by Section 302 of the Antiterrorism and Effective Death Penalty Act of 1996, AEDPA, P.L. 104-132), which authorizes the Secretary of State to designate as a Foreign Terrorist Organization (FTO) any group that engages in terrorist activity that threatens U.S. national security.9 The State Department announced the designation of 30 groups as FTOs, including the MEK.10 An October 1997 media report on the designations, citing an unnamed senior Clinton Administration official, stated that “inclusion of the [MEK] was intended as a goodwill gesture to Tehran and its newly elected moderate president, Mohammad Khatami,”11 a quote that has since featured prominently in MEK efforts to portray the designation as baseless and politically motivated.12 A 1999 State Department report announcing the redesignation of most of the original designees (including the MEK) featured several frequently asked questions, including, “Why was the MEK designated?” The report answered:

We have sufficient grounds for concluding that they are a terrorist organization and continue to engage in terrorist violence. The designation is based on activities much more recent than the takeover of our embassy.

Additionally, directing terrorism against a government or entity with whom we have differences does not exclude an organization from designation as an FTO.

MEK is designated as a Foreign Terrorist Organization because of the acts they commit, not who they act against and not who they are.13

In 1999, the State Department also added “National Council of Resistance” and NCR as aliases of the MEK.14

In the 2011 Country Reports on Terrorism (the last in which the MEK was included as an FTO), the State Department reported the group had 5,000-10,000 members worldwide, with large contingents in Paris and other European capitals, and that the NCRI (“the MEK’s political arm”) had “a global support network with active lobbying and propaganda efforts in major Western capitals. NCRI also has a well-developed media communications strategy.”15 That report also stated, “Before Operation Iraqi Freedom began in 2003, the MEK received all of its military assistance and most of its financial support from Saddam Hussein. The fall of Saddam Hussein’s regime has led the MEK increasingly to rely on front organizations to solicit contributions from expatriate Iranian communities.”16

Delisting as an FTO

In the late 2000s, the MEK mounted a legal and advocacy campaign in the United Kingdom and Europe to seek delisting as a terrorist group; the group was delisted as a terrorist organization by the United Kingdom in 2008 and the European Union in 2009.17 Seeking to capitalize on that momentum, the MEK petitioned the U.S. State Department to revoke its FTO designation in 2008, pursuant to AEDPA. In January 2009, Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice denied the petition but noted in a document provided to the MEK that “the continued designation of the MEK should be reexamined by the Secretary of State in the next two years even if the MEK does not file a petition for revocation,” given the MEK’s claims to have renounced terrorism.18

In July 2010, the U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia directed the Secretary to review the designation and to “provide the PMOI the opportunity to review and rebut the unclassified portions of the record on which she relied” in keeping the group on the FTO list.19 That court ruled again in June 2012 that the Secretary’s “delay in acting on PMOI’s petition for revocation is egregious” and ordered the Secretary to deny or grant the petition within four months.20

The MEK complemented its legal efforts with an advocacy campaign in Congress focused on the status of the group’s members in Iraq.21 MEK members in Iraq relinquished weapons to U.S. forces in Iraq in 2003 and remained concentrated largely at a location known as Camp Ashraf. In 2004, then-Secretary of Defense Donald Rumsfeld designated MEK members as “protected persons” under the Fourth Geneva Convention and U.S.-led coalition forces maintained security at the camp.22 U.S. forces handed security responsibility for the camp to the elected Iraqi government in 2008. As U.S. forces withdrew additional forces from Iraq in 2009, Iraqi government forces asserted greater security control over Camp Ashraf, and conducted operations inside the camp resulting in the deaths and injuries of some MEK camp residents. Some House Members introduced or cosponsored resolutions calling for protections and humanitarian assistance to Camp Ashraf residents (e.g. H.Res. 704, 111th Congress; and, H.Res. 231 and H.Res. 332, 112th Congress). Other Members introduced or cosponsored a resolution calling for the MEK’s delisting as an FTO (H.Res. 60, 112th Congress).

On September 28, 2012, the State Department announced the MEK’s delisting as an FTO. In the announcement, the Department said

With today’s actions, the Department does not overlook or forget the MEK’s past acts of terrorism, including its involvement in the killing of U.S. citizens in Iran in the 1970s and an attack on U.S. soil in 1992. The Department also has serious concerns about the MEK as an organization, particularly with regard to allegations of abuse committed against its own members. The Secretary’s decision today took into account the MEK’s public renunciation of violence, the absence of confirmed acts of terrorism by the MEK for more than a decade, and their cooperation in the peaceful closure of Camp Ashraf, their historic paramilitary base.23

In 2013, the MEK left Iraq for Albania, where the group remains at a site called Camp Ashraf-3 and reportedly has periodically faced threats from Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC).24 The U.S. government provided some diplomatic and financial support for the MEK’s move to Albania and the Albanian government’s role in hosting the group.25 In June 2023, Albanian police reportedly raided the MEK camp as part of an investigation into “unsanctioned political activities;” the MEK claimed one of its members was killed and dozens injured in the raid.26

Some Members of Congress have remained engaged in MEK-related issues. In the 118th Congress, H.Res. 100, which would have expressed “support for the Iranian people’s desire for a democratic, secular, and nonnuclear Republic of Iran,” condemned “violations of human rights and state-sponsored terrorism by the Iranian Government,” and referenced “opposition leader Mrs. Maryam Rajavi,” had 243 cosponsors. H.Res. 1148, which would have expressed the House of Representatives’ support for Rajavi’s “Ten-Point Plan for the Future of Iran,” had 227 cosponsors.27 In December 2023, NCRI asserted that Members of Congress had formed a “Congressional ASHRAF Protection and Rights Advocacy Caucus” and published what NCRI described as the caucus’s ‘mission statement,’ ‘statement of purpose,’ and ‘by-laws.’28 In a January 2025 “Strategic Framework,” the NCRI-aligned Organization of Iranian American Communities (OIAC, see below) called for the United States government to “formally recognize” NCRI as a “parliament in exile.”29

Role in Iran

As an exiled opposition group, the MEK plays no role in the authoritarian political system of the Islamic Republic. Given the Iranian government’s repressive approach to civil liberties and the media, there is not reliable information on the MEK’s activities or support within Iran. The MEK claims to be a focal point for broad-based opposition to the Iranian government.30 To bolster the group’s claims that it has support within Iran, the MEK has argued that it has received information from domestic sources on the government’s nuclear program and crackdowns on public protests.31 Limited public opinion polling suggests the group may not have broad popular support in Iran or within the Iranian-American diaspora.32 Statements from Iranian government officials as recently as January 2025, as well as alleged Iranian operations against both the MEK and the Albanian government, suggest that Tehran continues to view the MEK as a threat.33 The January 2025 OIAC “Strategic Framework” asserts that MEK “Iranian Resistance Units” operate covertly in Iran, organizing protests and strikes.34

In a 2022 statement to Foreign Policy, a State Department spokesperson was quoted as saying that “the United States does not see the MEK as a viable democratic opposition movement that is representative of the Iranian people.”35 The spokesperson also reportedly relayed that the State Department “continues to have serious concerns about the MEK as an organization, including allegations of abuse committed against its own members.”36 The group has long faced accusations that it holds members against their will and commits torture—allegations the group denies.37

Relationships with Other Iran-Related Groups in the United States

A number of U.S.-based advocacy groups seek to represent the views and interests of Iranian Americans. While the groups voice support for a free and democratic Iran, they often disagree strongly on U.S. policy approaches. Of these groups, the Organization of Iranian-American Communities (OIAC) appears to be closest to the MEK. OIAC materials and speakers regularly promote Maryam Rajavi, who has spoken (via video) at OIAC events, including a December 2024 OIAC briefing for congressional staff reportedly attended by several Senators and former U.S. military officials.38 OIAC has denounced Reza Pahlavi, the son of the former Shah and so-called “crown prince” whom other advocacy groups (such as the National Union for Democracy in Iran, NUFDI) have promoted.39

Footnotes
1. Ervand Abrahamian, The Iranian Mojahedin (Yale University Press, 1992), p. 92.
2. U.S. Department of State, Report on the People’s Mojahedin of Iran, October 28, 1994. The report states that the MEK “are known to have assassinated” six Americans, including three U.S. military personnel, between 1973 and 1976. The report was mandated by Section 523 of the FY1994-1995 Foreign Relations Authorization Act (P.L. 103-236) and is at http://iran.org/news/1994_10-State-Dept-MEK-report.htm.
3. U.S. Department of State, Report on the People’s Mojahedin of Iran.
4. See National Council of Resistance of Iran, U.S. Representative Office, FARA filing at https://efile.fara.gov/docs/6171-Informational-Materials-20170110-1.pdf.
5.U.S. Department of State, Report on the People’s Mojahedin of Iran.
6. Ibid.
7. Jonathan Masters, “Mujahadeen-e-Khalq (MEK),” Council on Foreign Relations, July 28, 2014. In a 2020 interview, an MEK spokesperson reportedly said, “We can’t talk about it” when asked about Massoud Rajavi’s whereabouts. Patrick Kingsley, “Highly secretive Iranian rebels are holed up in Albania. They gave us a tour,” New York Times, February 16, 2020.
8. U.S. Department of State, Report on the People’s Mojahedin of Iran.
9. 8 U.S.C. §1189. For more, see CRS In Focus IF10613, The Foreign Terrorist Organization (FTO) List, by Liana W. Rosen. For follow-up, congressional offices may contact Clayton Thomas.
10. Office of the Coordinator for Counterterrorism, Public Notice 2612, 62 Federal Register 52650, October 8, 1997.
11. Norman Kempster, “U.S. designates 30 groups as terrorists,” Los Angeles Times, October 9, 1997.
12. See, for example, “The resilient MEK: Rebuilding the Iranian Resistance in exile,” PMOI/MEK, September 8, 2021.
13. U.S. Department of State, 1999 Report Index, October 8, 1999, at https://2001-2009.state.gov/s/ct/rls/rpt/fto/2682.htm.
14. Office of the Coordinator for Counterterrorism, Public Notice 3130, 64 Federal Register 55112, October 8, 1999.
15. U.S. Department of State, Country Reports on Terrorism 2011, July 2012, at https://2009-2017.state.gov/j/ct/rls/crt/2011/195553.htm. For more information on the MEK’s reliance on Iranian diaspora communities as a financial support system, see Mark Edmond Clark, “An Analysis of the Role of the Iranian Diaspora in the Financial Support System of the Mujahedin-e Khalq,” in Terrornomics, ed. Sean S. Costigan and David Gold (London: Routledge, 2007), pp. 65-76.
16. Ibid.
17. For an account of the MEK’s legal campaign in the United Kingdom and European Union, including references to primary sources, see Ben Smith, “The People’s Mujahiddeen of Iran (PMOI),” UK House of Commons Library, Briefing Paper Number CBP 5020, March 7, 2016, pp. 9-12.
18. People’s Mojahedin Organization v. United States Department of State, 613 F.3d 220 (D.C. Cir. 2010).
19. Ibid.
20. In re People’s Mojahedin Organization of Iran, 680 F.3d 832 (D.C. Cir. 2012).
21. Ali Gharib and Eli Clifton, “Long march of the yellow jackets: how a one-time terrorist group prevailed on Capitol Hill,” Intercept, February 26, 2015; Ali Harb, “How Iranian MEK went from US terror list to halls of Congress,” Middle East Eye, July 17, 2019.
22. Jeremiah Goulka et al., The Mujahedin-e Khalq in Iraq: A Policy Conundrum, RAND National Defense Research Institute, July 28, 2009.
23. U.S. Department of State, Delisting of the Mujahdin-e Khalq, September 28, 2012, at https://2009-2017.state.gov/r/pa/prs/ps/2012/09/198443.htm.
24. Kingsley, “Highly secretive Iranian rebels”; Hollie McKay, “Inside the Albanian compound of an exiled Iranian opposition group,” Coffee or Die Magazine, September 20, 2022; and, Harun Karcic, “How Albania Ended Up in Iran’s Cyber Crosshairs,” Foreign Policy, November 8, 2022.
25. Pamela Dockins, “US praises Albania for MEK resettlement,” VOA, February 14, 2016; U.S. Department of State, Remarks Before the Daily Press Briefing, September 12, 2016.
26. Maziar Motamedi, “Why was this Iran dissident group raided in Europe?” Al Jazeera, June 21, 2023.
27. Rajavi’s Ten-Point Plan, which includes calls for “a republic founded on universal suffrage and pluralism,” “separation of religion and state,” and “complete gender equality,” is available at https://www.ncr-iran.org/en/maryam-rajavis-ten-point-plan-for-future-iran/.
28. “Congressional caucus spearheads global initiative to ensure safety and rights of Iranian dissidents in Ashraf-3,” National Council of Resistance of Iran, December 21, 2023. See also Matthew Petti, “Congress forms caucus to aid Iranian ex-terror group,” Responsible Statecraft, January 16, 2024. As of December 2024, the caucus did not appear on the Committee on House Administration’s list of Congressional Member Organizations (CMOs) in the 118th Congress. As of February 2025, the caucus does not appear on the CMO list for the 119th Congress. See CMO lists at https://cha.house.gov/congressional-member-and-staff-organizations.
29. “Strategic framework for U.S. policy on Iran: Supporting regime change, engaging viable alternative, and facilitating transition,” Organization of Iranian-American Communities, January 15, 2025. OIAC’s website says the group “supports the 10-point plans by Mrs. Maryam Rajavi for a democratic Iran.” See https://oiac.org/about/.
30. See, for example, Matin Karim, “The Resistance Units: The frontline of the fight for freedom in Iran,” PMOI, February 17, 2025.
31. “About the People’s Mojahedin Organization of Iran (PMOI/MEK),” PMOI website, at https://english.mojahedin.org/about-the-peoples-mojahedin-organization-of-iran-pmoi-mek/.
32. Nancy Gallagher, Ebrahim Mohseni, and Clay Ramsey, “Iranian public opinion at the start of the Raisi Administration: a public opinion study,” University of Maryland Center for International and Security Studies, September 2021; Public Affairs Alliance of Iranian Americans, National Public Opinion Survey of the Iranian American Community 2023, February 2023.
33. Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency, “Iranian state actors conduct cyber operations against the government of Albania,” September 23, 2022; Gerta Zaimi, “Iran’s Balkan front: the roots and consequences of Iranian cyberattacks against Albania,” Middle East Institute, December 22, 2022; “Killing of senior Iranian judges puts spotlight on exiled opposition group,” Amwaj.media, January 20, 2025.
34. “Strategic framework for U.S. policy on Iran: Supporting regime change, engaging viable alternative, and facilitating transition,” Organization of Iranian-American Communities, January 15, 2025.
35. Harun Karcic, “How Albania ended up in Iran’s cyber crosshairs,” Foreign Policy, November 8, 2022.
36. Ibid.
37. No Exit: Human Rights Abuses Inside the MKO Camps, Human Rights Watch, May 18, 2005; Kingsley, “Highly secretive Iranian rebels”; Murtaza Hussain and Matthew Cole, “Defectors tell of torture and forced sterilization in militant Iranian cult,” Intercept, March 22, 2020.
38. “A bipartisan conference in the U.S Senate examined the path to a free democratic Iran,” Organization of Iranian American Communities, December 14, 2024.
39. OIAC, “Reza Pahlavi, son of overthrown shah, is no advocate for a democratic Iran,” May 10, 2023.

March 16, 2025 0 comments

Mujahedin Khalq Organization as a terrorist group

Families of Iranian terrorism victims slam Italian parliament’s decision to honor MEK member

In an open letter addressed to Italian authorities, families of Iranian victims of terrorism have condemned the Italian Parliament’s decision to honor a member of the anti-Iran terror group Mujahedin-e Khalq (MEK).

The families described the decision as a “shameful act” that has caused profound pain to many Iranians, especially the families of the 23,000 victims of terrorism in Iran.

The protest follows the Italian Parliament’s decision to present the “Women of Courage Award 2025” to a member of the so-called Association of Iranian Youth in Italy, a group linked to the MEK terrorist organization. The award was handed over by the parliament’s vice president.

In their letter, the families expressed their deep disappointment and outrage at the decision. “This award was presented by the Vice President of the Italian Parliament to a member of a front organization affiliated with the MEK, known as the Association of Iranian Youth in Italy,” the letter stated. “In her acceptance speech, the recipient openly acknowledged her and her family’s membership in and political commitment to the MEK. She expressed support for the terrorist and destructive activities of the MEK’s so-called ‘Rebellious Units,’ whose mission involves sabotage and the use of homemade bombs targeting government and religious sites in Iran.”

The families highlighted the MEK’s long history of violence and terrorism, both within Iran and beyond. “The MEK is a terrorist organization that, over more than five decades of its existence, has massacred countless Iranian citizens through a range of brutal methods, including suicide bombings, explosive attacks, mortar fire, abductions, torture, and both targeted and indiscriminate assassinations,” the letter continued. “Thousands of Iran’s 23,000 victims of terrorism lost their lives to the atrocities committed by this group.”

The letter also pointed out the MEK’s involvement in the murder of American and Iraqi citizens and its mercenary service to Saddam Hussein from the 1980s until his downfall. “The group’s history is so steeped in darkness that, for years, it was listed as a terrorist organization by the United States, Canada, the United Kingdom, and even the European Union,” the families wrote. “While regrettable political maneuvers by these nations eventually led to its removal from those lists, the Iranian people and the families of terror victims will never forget the bombings, assassinations, and murders committed by this group.”

The families called on the Italian Parliament to reconsider its support for the MEK and to adopt more just and humanitarian policies. “Instead of representing its own people and defending their rights, the Italian Parliament has, regrettably, chosen an unjust and inhumane path by supporting and rewarding a notorious terrorist group and its members,” the letter concluded. “It is highly unlikely that the Italian people and the voters who elected these representatives would condone such repulsive acts, which stem either from ignorance or from complete disregard for morality.”

The families of Iran’s terrorism victims urged the Italian Parliament and its representatives to cease their support for the MEK and to redirect their efforts toward serving their own citizens.

March 16, 2025 0 comments

Mujahedin Khalq; A proxy force

Points on the resolution by US Congressmen in support of the MEK

Less than a month ago, following a Congressional hearing addressed by Maryam Rajavi, some representatives of the US Congress announced their support for the Mujahedin-e Khalq (MEK) in a resolution.

According to information available on the US Congress website, the resolution in question was submitted by 160 Cosponsors (106 Republicans, 54 Democrats). This is despite the fact that only three representatives of Congress were present at the hearing on February 26th, 2025.

Zoe Lofgren, Tom McClintock and Brad Sherman were supposedly representing their colleagues to refer the Resolution H.Res. 166 to the Committee on Foreign Affairs.

Why the remaining representatives supporting the MEK were not present at this meeting is a good question to be asked. The answer to this question lies in the points that follow. Points that show that the resolution is arbitrary and based on false information and is even clearly authored by the MEK, as the financial sponsor of the whole scenario.

Where is the voice of the Iranian people?

Nowhere in the resolution is there a trace of statistics or documents about the type of government the Iranian people want or their level of approval for the MEK and Maryam Rajavi. This is despite the fact that according to the text of the resolution, the signatories have introduced the MEK as a subversive force and Maryam Rajavi’s Ten-Point plan as a model for the future government in Iran.
It goes without saying that if anyone wants to think logically and comprehensively about changing the government in Iran, in addition to polling the Iranian people, it is necessary to consider other opposition groups as well.

Woman, Resistance, Freedom?!

Even the most ignorant politicians know that the slogan “Woman, Resistance, Freedom” has never been a topic in Iranian society, and the removal of the word “life” from the overarching slogan “Woman, Life, Freedom” is solely a fabrication of the MEK, as a cult-like group that openly considers “life” to be the enemy of struggle.

The submitters are congressmen from a country that considers itself the Super Power of the world and sets tasks for regime change for another country and defines the type of government for it. However, they are too ignorant to have heard the slogan “Women, Life, Freedom”! How were they able to hear “Woman, Resistance, Freedom”?
“Woman, Resistance, Freedom” was only transmitted in the hashtags of the MEK’s virtual army on social networks from their Albanian base, in the remote village in North of Tirana, Manez.

Paid Advocacy

It is not strange that the submitters are not surprised that the fabricated slogan “Woman, Resistance, Freedom” is claimed to be the demand of the Iranian people while they have never heard it in the streets of Iran, because it is likely that many of those whose names are listed as submitters have not read the text of the resolution at all.

They did not read it and eventually did not object to the text. This shows their extreme ignorance. Nonetheless, the point is something else. This obvious contradiction of the resolution’s text with the reality in the world makes it clear that the donations of the MEK are so compelling that a congressman, without attending a hearing or reading the text of the resolution, would declare his support for an organization with a history of terrorism, extremism and cult-like violence.
Ultimately, American representatives should be asked whether they would accept a foreign force to declare what kind of government their country should have or who should govern it with what intentions?

In any case, this resolution is a politically signaling, not policy making, and according to the estimates on the Congress website, the probability of its approval is 13 percent. However, its wording suggests foreign approval of a specific political outcome – which has led to interventions that ignores the action and will of the Iranian people.

Mazda Parsi

March 15, 2025 0 comments

The cult of Rajavi

Former child soldier’s account on “Constructive Criticism” in the MEK

Former members of the Mujahedin-e Khalq (MEK) are not only familiar with the history and background of this organization through documents and media but also, they provide a first-hand and unmediated account of this undemocratic and totalitarian structure that simply negates the possibility of this organization being an alternative to the Iranian government.

Zhina (Zeinab) Hosseinnejad, a former child soldier of the MEK who spent her childhood and youth in the organization, although she is now a staunch opponent of the Islamic Republic, tries to inform Iranian public opinion about the nature of this destructive cult by occasionally publishing accounts of her time as a member of the cult. She is one of the former child soldiers of the MEK who testified against the MEK in the Hamburg court in Amin Gol Maryami’s case. She was also interviewed by some journalists and filmmakers in Europe.

In a recent post on her Facebook account, Zhina wrote about the concept of “constructive criticism” in the MEK. Reading this section of Zhina Hosseinnejad’s memoirs make it clear that criticism, even constructive criticism, is forbidden in the MEK’s ruling structure. Criticism leads to torture and harm to the critic, and this is proven repeatedly and in various situations in Zhina’s post.

Zhina’s account of constructive criticism within the MEK can be considered credible evidence to make any political force that thinks it can interact with the MEK reconsider. This is a part of her post on constructive criticism:
Whenever I hear the word “constructive criticism” about reactionary opposition groups, I recall the events in Albania, the days when I still believed in the change of the Mujahedin.

When we arrived in Albania, the atmosphere of suffocation had become a little less than in Iraq, so I was able to write explicit internal criticism reports regarding censorship, repression, psychological torture, and forced confessions in women’s meetings, and I demanded that the officials of the organization be held accountable to the public.

One of the so-called bright and “good police” officials told me; “Our apparatus still does not have the capacity to respond to criticism, since we are not the government, our system will collapse and weaken.”

But I still do not understand why at the time of repression, torture, corruption, and violation of people’s rights, they were the government, but when it came to accountability, they were not the government… Let’s move on.

After months of psychological pressure sessions, which finally led me to leave the organization, one day I told an MEK agent who was visiting my controlled apartment in Tirana; “I want to open a Facebook page and write the reason for my departure from the organization and post my criticisms publicly and constructively.”

As if the official was struck by electricity, she said; “No, no, don’t do it! Let me ask the higher officials.”
In short, from that day on, every night and every morning, sometimes even late, they came to me, saying things, threatening and tempting, that I was shocked, but all they did was to prevent me from opening a political page.

And the more I asked; what’s wrong with “constructive criticism”? The more they said; “Absolutely! Don’t write even a single comment! Go and live your life.”
“life” that from years until that moment before leaving Ashraf was a taboo. Life was shame, it was disgrace, it was betrayal and it made you deserve trial! All of a sudden it became good, it became important, it became necessary, it became gold!
And you know very well what criticism will turn into when they don’t let you make “constructive criticism” in time… and it did.

When the issue of some of us was brought to the European media and the German courts, some MEK accounts came to my direct message and wrote: “Don’t step on the blood of your mother and uncles! If you have criticism, make it constructive criticism! Why did you bring the issue to the media and the court?!”

I said; Oh No! what happened? Constructive criticism became good? You came a little late! Sweet Heart!
In short, we, the new generation of MEK, were not given the space and the right to even the slightest “constructive criticism” until the issue was brought to the media and the court.

March 12, 2025 0 comments

Mujahedin Khalq; A proxy force

Paid Speaker of the MEK rally, attacked by X users

On the Int. Women’s Day, Sherman stands with the cult that enslaves and abuses women

March 8, 2025 was the most recent opportunity for the Mujahedin-e Khalq (MEK) to run their propaganda machine under the slogans of freedom of Iranian women. The MEK-run rally called “Free Iran” in Washington DC was addressed by some US politicians like Congressman Brad Sherman, a member of the Israeli lobby, AIPAC and MEK’s top supporter in the US Congress.
However, as it was expected, the speakers were slammed by the Iranian public, in social media. No matter, from which political view, all Iranians share one view in common: They despise the MEK.
And they showed their hatred towards the MEK by trending the hashtags, #MEKterrorists and #NCRterrorists, sharing links, videos, photos and articles to remind the American paid speaker of the MEK rally about the truth of the group’s atrocities during the past fifty years against Americans, Iranians, Iraqi Kurds and their own members including women and children.
On his X account, Brad Sherman, claimed that on International Women’s Day, he “honored the brave Iranian women who have risked and lost their lives to fight for freedom in Iran”.
The followings are a few of hundreds of comments against congressman Sherman by X users:

Nerd
Mr. Sherman claims that he honors Iranian Women by supporting #MEKterrorists
On “International Women’s Day”, he claimed to honor brave Iranian women who risked their lives for freedom; yet he stood with MEK (NCRI), a group notorious for abusing women and children.
Let’s remind him “MEK’s” real record on human (especially women’s) rights.
1) Forced Divorce & Sexual Exploitation of Women
MEK banned marriage and family life to ensure absolute loyalty to its leader, Masoud Rajavi.
– Forced divorces; members had to separate from their spouses.
– Women were ordered to “marry” Rajavi and perform naked “salvation dances.”
– Many were forcibly sterilized to ensure they never had children.
https://hrw.org/report/2005/05/18/no-exit/human-rights-abuses-inside-mojahedin-khalq-camps
https://nejatngo.org/en/posts/11355

2) MEK’s Forced Child Separation & Child Soldiers
MEK ripped 800+ children from their families in Iraq and sent them abroad.

– Children were deported alone to Europe while parents were forced to stay.
– Later, many were brought back and turned into child soldiers.
https://rand.org/pubs/monographs/MG871.html
https://lemonde.fr/en/international/article/2024/06/23/we-the-child-soldiers-of-the-mujahedin-e-khalq_62458.html

3) MEK’s Crimes Against Kurds & Iraqis (1991)
After the Gulf War, MEK sided with Saddam Hussein to crush Kurdish and Shi’a uprisings.
– MEK tanks ran over Kurdish civilians in Kirkuk & Khanaqin.
– Rajavi ordered: “Crush them under your tanks!”
– U.S. State Dept confirms MEK helped Saddam kill Iraqis.
https://2009-2017.state.gov/j/ct/rls/crt/2005/64337.htm
https://responsiblestatecraft.org/2023/01/27/congress-forms-caucus-to-aid-iranian-ex-terror-group/

4)MEK’s Cult-Like Psychological Abuse
MEK operates “like a cult”, punishing members for independent thought.
– Dissenters were thrown into solitary confinement for years.
– Members were forced to write self-criticism reports.
– Trying to leave was considered treason, punishable by imprisonment and torture.
https://hrw.org/report/2005/05/18/no-exit/human-rights-abuses-inside-mojahedin-khalq-camps
https://theintercept.com/2020/10/23/iran-mek-albania-cult/
Final notes; MEK Is Anti-Women, Anti-Children & Anti-Human Rights
– MEK is despised by both Iranians & Iraqis for its atrocities.
– Ex-members expose horrifying abuse of women, children & dissenters.**
– Even the U.S. State Dept warns that MEK is NOT a democratic alternative.**
https://2009-2017.state.gov/j/ct/rls/crt/2005/64337.htm
https://rand.org/pubs/monographs/MG871.html

David
We demand you to explain yourself!
You claimed to honor Iranian women, but stood with a terrorist cult that enslaved and abused them.
How on earth does supporting MEK’s rally in DC help Iranian women?

Shaheen Shirazi
Maryam Rajavi is a terrorist who killed Americans and many Iranians, and they joined the war with Saddam, who killed Iranians, whether through bombings or assassinations. Iranians hate the criminal terrorist organization that you are promoting, shame on you, money is not everything.

Armin
The NCRI terrorists & MEK terrorists is islamomarxist cult many Iranian are living in your district and most of them hate that cult I warn you about that stop supporting this anti American and Israel cult who killed American citizens.

Iranian Girl
The People’s Mojahedin Organization (PMOI), also known as the Mujahedin-e Khalq (MEK) or the Mujahedin-e Khalq Organization (MKO), has a complex history involving various violent and terroristic activities, especially during the 1970s and 1980s. Maryam Rajavi, a self-proclaimed leader within the organization, has been associated with the group during and after these terroristic periods. Below is a summary of documented violent and terroristic activities attributed to the MEK/MKO/PMOI/NCRI:
1. Assassinations and Attacks in the 1970s:
• Targeting U.S. Personnel: Throughout the 1970s, the MEK orchestrated attacks against the Iranian state, resulting in the deaths of several Americans working in Iran, including military officers and civilian contractors.
http://cfr.org
• Attempted Kidnapping: In 1970, the MEK attempted to kidnap U.S. Ambassador Douglas MacArthur II.
http://en.wikipedia.org
2. Activities During the 1980s:
• Collaboration with Saddam Hussein: During the Iran-Iraq War, the MEK aligned with Iraq, participating in military operations against Iran.
http://en.wikipedia.org
3. Legal Issues Involving Maryam Rajavi:
• Arrest in France (2003): On June 17, 2003, Maryam Rajavi was arrested by French authorities, along with approximately 150 MEK members, on suspicion of terrorism-related activities. All charges were later dropped.
http://en.wikipedia.org
• Iraqi Arrest Warrant (2010): In July 2010, the Iraqi High Tribunal issued an arrest warrant for 39 MEK members, including Rajavi, accusing them of crimes against humanity related to their involvement in suppressing the 1991 uprisings against Saddam Hussein. The MEK denied these charges.
http://en.wikipedia.org

Reza
This cult, the #MEKterrorists, is a Marxist-Jihadi terrorist group responsible for assassination of 6 Americans. Mujahedin-e Khalq (MEK) engaged in activities against American targets in Iran during the 1970s, reflecting their anti-imperialist stance. This included attacks on American corporations and personnel, which were part of their broader campaign against perceived foreign influence and imperialism in Iran.
The names of Americans killed by the Mujahedin-e Khalq (MEK) include:
– Lieutenant Colonel Lewis L. Hawkins** (killed in 1973)
– Colonel Paul R. Shaffer** (killed in 1975)
– Lieutenant Colonel Jack H. Turner** (killed in 1975)
– Robert R. Krongrad, William C. Cottrell, Jr., and Donald G. Smith** (all killed in 1976).

Javid Shahemon
They don’t want peace in lran. They want a Civil war. The iranian people are ready to die
But these terrorist traitors will not Accept it.

Reza Behrouz
Mr. Sherman, This cult you’ve cozied up to, the #MEKterrorists, is a Marxist-Jihadi terrorist group responsible for assassinating Americans. They are also antisemitic.

March 11, 2025 0 comments

Human Rights Abuse in the MEK

March 8 and the MEK’s oppression against women

Female members of the MEK are deprived of the Right to celebrate Women’s and Mother’s Day.

The Mujahedin-e Khalq (MEK) claims to support women’s rights, yet within the organization, women are stripped of their identity and denied the right to celebrate Women’s Day or Mother’s Day.

Motherhood itself is forbidden—women are forcibly separated from their children and forbidden from knowing them. On Mother’s Day, while mothers are cherished all over the world, the women of the MEK must suppress their pain in silence.

Women’s Day is similarly distorted. Instead of true empowerment, female members of the MEK endure forced divorces, emotional repression, and total obedience to the Mujahedin Khalq leaders. Any sign of independent thinking is punished, proving that the organization’s so-called feminism is a sham.

By erasing the personal identity of women, the MEK reveals its true nature as a cult that exploits rather than empowers. The world must recognize this hypocrisy and stand with the women who are locked inside, denied even the simplest joys of femininity and motherhood.

Edona Honda

March 8, 2025 0 comments

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