Story

Is eventual eviction of the MEK members from Albania in perspective?

At approximately 0638 EST, reports began to emerge that Albanian National Police executed a Special Court against Corruption and Organized Crime (SPAK) ordered raid on the primary Iranian Mojahedin-e-Khalq (MEK) MEK camp in Durres, Albania. By 0651 EST, local Albanian media reported that at least one person had died and 36 had been wounded as protestors sought to repel the Albanian police from the camp. However, Albanian officials claimed by 1200 EST, that two civilians died in “un-related situations” to the raid, such as a sixty-seven year old man going into cardiac arrest. The actual numbers of those dead and injured remain unclear at this time.

MEK is an Iranian militant organization that advocates the overthrow of the Government of the Islamic Republic of Iran and installation of its own government. They accepted a combination of Marxism and Islamism as the base of their belief.

The Albania police takes control of the MEK Camp Ashraf 3

After the overthrow of the Shah, the MEK competed for power with the Revolutionaries and Khomeini that went on to establish the Islamic Republic of Iran, eventually being forced to flee the country in 1981 for France after coordinating several demonstrations and attacks again the Iranian government.

In 1986, Paris expelled MEK due to an increasingly violent series of attacks against Iranian embassies abroad. MEK relocated to Iraq’s Camp Ashraf near the border with Iran. MEK participated in several battles on the Iraqi side of the Iran-Iraq War, which significantly culled its popularity among Iranian moderates.

MEK operated in Iraq until the United States invasion in 2003 when their forces surrendered to the U.S. military. MEK would continue to operate with limited tolerance from the new Iraqi and US supported government until 2016 when their relocation to Albania was negotiated. Since then, MEK has maintained their camp of more than 5,000 personnel and their families in Albania, providing intelligence services to anti-Iranian forces.

This raid of the camp is novel and significant in that it follows a pattern that both France and Iraq pursued which ended in the eventual eviction of the fighters. It is not currently clear why the investigation and raid occurred, other than Albanian stated goals of keeping law and order. Some have speculated increased Iranian diplomatic pressure on Albania.

By: Tessaron – The Atlas News.co

June 21, 2023 0 comments

Albania

MEK Reaction unacceptable, intolerable, and reprehensible; says Interior Minister

Members of the Mujahedin-e Khalk protest the police action on June 20 in Tirana

Albanian state police seized dozens of computers on June 20 during a raid of a camp near Tirana that has been home to about 3,000 members of the Mujahedin-e Khalk (MEK), a group of exiled opponents of the Iranian government.

Local media reported that the group is suspected of orchestrating cyberattacks against foreign institutions, but police declined to provide specifics on what the investigation was about.

The operation was carried out on the orders of the Albanian judiciary due to the violation of agreements the group made when they settled in Albania a decade ago, police said.

Representatives of the MEK said that one person died as a result of the use of tear gas by the police, but Albania’s interior minister and the police, who released a video recording of the operation, denied responsibility.

Albania’s Interior Minister Bledi Cuci

The reported death of an elderly person had nothing to do with the actions of the police, Interior Minister Bledi Cuci said.

“I guarantee you that no person was touched during the police operation,” Cuci said at a news conference, adding that the reaction of the MEK was unacceptable, intolerable, and reprehensible.

“They are in Albania according to an agreement that stipulates that they will not carry out political activities or protests, and they are sheltered only for humanitarian purposes,” Cuci said.

State Police Director-General Muhamet Rrumbullaku said 15 police officers and 21 members of the MEK were injured and several police cars were damaged.

He said MEK members began to resist when police found server rooms and computer equipment that they suspected were illegal. Police seized 96 computer units and about 50 laptops and tablets, he said, adding that there was an attempt to burn some documents during the operation.

The raid was part of an investigation by the Special Structure Against Organized Crime and Corruption (SPAK). None of the officials disclosed what the SPAK investigation is about.

“The prosecutor’s office has initiated several criminal cases, but I cannot tell you why the Iranians of the MEK are suspected,” Cuci said.

He also refused to say whether members of the MEK were in hiding in the camp after cyberattacks carried out in July, which led Albania to severe diplomatic relations with Iran.

Rrumbullaku said that all who used violence against the police have been identified and that there will be consequences for the leaders of the camp who did not cooperate.

Police said earlier they had launched a probe into the MEK’s allegations.
With reporting by AFP

June 21, 2023 0 comments

Albania

MEK has not respected the 2014 agreement, Albania Says

A man died in unclear circumstances when Albanian police raided the compound of the exiled Iranian oppositionist MEK group, saying that its members might have been involved in prohibited political activity.

MEK members protest at their compound near Durres after the police raid on Tuesday. Photo: LSA

One person died on Tuesday as police raided the compound of the Mujahedin-e-Khalq (People’s Mujahedin of Iran), MEK in Mezez near Durres in Albania and clashed with some of the Iranian oppositionist group’s members.

Interior Minister Bledi Cuci told media that the police were “enforcing a court order” to seize devices and equipment inside the compound because the Special Prosecution had “reasonable doubts” that MEK members were involved in political activity, which is prohibited under the terms of the agreement allowing them to stay in Albania.

Cuci said that MEK members resisted the police operation but that officers were not responsible for the death of one of them.

“I guarantee you that the death of the person in the compound was not caused by the State Police,” she said.

The head of of the State Police, Muhamet Rrumbullaku, denied allegations that officers had used violence against MEK members, saying that police had only used pepper spray against individuals who were not complying.

But the National Council of Resistance of Iran, of which MEK is a leading member, said in a statement that one man was killed in the raid and many people harmed by the police action.

“As a result of this criminal attack, a member of the Mujahedin-e-Khalq (PMOI/MEK), Mr. Ali Mostashari, was killed and more than 100 people were injured due to police firing pepper spray. Many of them are in critical condition and some were transferred to Mother Teresa Hospital in Tirana,” the secretariat of the National Council of Resistance of Iran said.

MEK’s compound after the police raid.

Around 3,000 members of the MEK, a long-exiled group that opposes the Iranian Islamic regime, moved to Albania between 2013 and 2016.

The Interior Ministry said in a statement that the reason for the police operation was that “MEK has not respected the 2014 agreement” allowing its members to reside in Albania.

It said that MEK had taken actions that contravened the commitments it made when it “settled in Albania for humanitarian purposes alone”.

“Unfortunately, this group has not adhered to these commitments, breaching the agreement,” the ministry added.

The 2014 agreement allowing the MEK to base itself in Albania has mostly been kept secret.

The MEK resettled in Albania from Iraq after coming under attack from pro-Iranian groups after the fall of Iraqi dictator Saddam Hussein in 2003 and constructed its large compound in a rural area.

The group gained backing from some prominent anti-Tehran figures in the Trump administration as a potential future alternative to the Iranian regime and was even visited by former US Vice President Mike Pence last year.

Founded in 1965 as a left-leaning opposition to the former Shah of Iran’s regime, it turned against the Islamic Republic following the 1979 revolution.

The US listed it as a terrorist organisation in 1997 but removed it from the blacklist in 2012 after it renounced violence.
By Fjori Sinoruka – Balkaninsight

June 21, 2023 0 comments

USA

US Says Albania’s Raid On Iranian MEK Compound Legal

The US has copped out of condemning the Albanian police raid into Camp Ashraf, a township where members of exiled opposition group Mojahedin-e-Khalq reside.

“The Albanian State Police have assured us that all actions were conducted in accordance with applicable laws, including with regard to the protection of the rights and freedoms of all persons in Albania,” read a statement issued on Tuesday.

Having found itself in quite a precarious predicament after dozens of Iranian dissidents seeking safe haven in Albania were reportedly injured Tuesday and one allegedly died in the raid, the State Department said it has been “assured” the Albanian government did not violate any human rights.

The State Department, which usually does not keep silent about such actions, and especially not against a group known to be active against the Islamic Republic, not only did not condemn the unexpected raid, but also distanced itself from the dissident group, raising concerns about the group’s actions against its own members.

The US State Departement says the Albania’s Police all actions were conducted in accordance with applicable laws

Iranian dissidents clash with Albanian police during a raid on the Ashraf-3 and Ashraf-4 camps on June 20, 2023, in pursuit of suspects tied to cyberattacks.

“The State Department continues to have serious concerns about the MEK as an organization, including allegations of abuse committed against its own members,” noted the statement.

The State Department, however, pointed to the Albanian police accusations that the inhabitants of the camp were involved in cyberattacks against the Albanian government, adding, “We support the Government of Albania’s right to investigate any potential illegal activities within its territory.”

Emphasizing that Washington does not view the MEK as “a viable democratic opposition movement that is representative of the Iranian people,” the State Department said, “The US government does not provide support or training to the MEK, does not contribute funding to the organization, and does not maintain substantive contact beyond issues related to the MEK’s resettlement, which was completed in 2016.”

Earlier on Tuesday, MEK said about a thousand Albanian police officers raided the group’s exile center, Camp Ashraf, using tear gas and pepper spray. The group said that one of their members, identified as Ali Mostashari, was killed and more than a hundred others injured.

Despite initial denials, Albanian Interior Minister Bledi Cuci and the head of the national police, Muhamet Rrumbullaku, said both police officers and Iranian dissidents were injured during the raid at the Ashraf-3 camp near Manze, a small hill-town 30 kilometers (about 20 miles) west of Albania’s capital. However, the authorities disputed that the raid caused the man’s death.

Alleging that the attack was instigated by the Iranian regime, the MEK claimed that the actions by the Albanian police are “reminiscent of the criminal attacks by forces of Nouri al-Maliki (former prime minister of Iraq) on the original Camp Ashraf in Iraq between 2009 and 2015.”

Camp Ashraf 3 compound in Durres, Albania, is MEK’s first home outside the Middle East established a few years after the 2013 massacre in the original Camp in Iraq in which 52 members died and seven went missing, leading to the relocation of the group.

Iran International

June 21, 2023 0 comments

Albania

Police raid MEK camp in Albania, seize computers

Albanian authorities have raided a camp for members of the exiled Iranian opposition group Mujahedeen-e-Khalq to seize 150 computer devices allegedly linked to prohibited political activities

TIRANA, Albania — Albanian authorities on Tuesday raided a camp for members of the exiled Iranian opposition group Mujahedeen-e-Khalq to seize 150 computer devices allegedly linked to prohibited political activities, and several people were injured.

Albanian Interior Minister Bledi Cuci and the head of the national police, Muhamet Rrumbullaku, said both police officers and Iranian dissidents were injured during the raid at the Ashraf-3 camp near Manze, a small hill town 30 kilometers (about 20 miles) west of Albania’s capital. Representatives of the Mujahedeen group said one person was killed; Albanian authorities disputed that the raid caused the man’s death.

The Albania police takes control of the MEK Camp Ashraf 3

The Special Structure Against Corruption and Organized Crime’s office has opened investigations into suspected political activities by Mujahedeen members. Cuci and Rrumbullaku referred questions about the nature of the alleged violations to prosecutors, saying police were only carrying out a court order to seize evidence.

The agreement the government signed with the MEK when Albania agreed to shelter Mujahedeen members in 2013 states they are not supposed to engage in any political activity and must abide by the country’s laws.

Some 2,500 Iranian exiles who initially were housed in separate locations built the Ashraf-3 camp in 2019. It consists of 127 buildings in an area of 40 hectares (100 acres), which Rrumbullaku said is Albanian territory.

Some camp residents tried to block the police officers who moved in to seize the computer devices housed in 17 buildings, and their leaders did not cooperate, according to Rrumbullaku. Fifteen officers were injured, and 21 Ashraf-3 residents were taken to a hospital with injuries from the pepper spray the officers used to defend themselves.

Cuci, the interior minister, said he was “indignant and offended” by the reception police received.

In an email message to The Associated Press, Shahin Gobadi, the MEK’s spokesperson in Paris, said an Iranian man was killed and more than 100 camp residents injured “due to police firing pepper spray.” He identified the man who died as Ali Mostashari.

The statement from the Iranian opposition headquarters compared the Albanian police raid with those they saw in Iraq before coming to the Western Balkan country.

Cuci denied police actions resulted in the death of a man in his late 70s, and said authorities were awaiting the results of an autopsy.

“I guarantee that death was not caused from any action of the police forces,” he said at a news conference. “We paid all the necessary care not to create any incident with the residents within the camp.”

The Mujahedeen-e-Khalq began as a Marxist group opposed to the rule of Iran’s then-Shah Mohammad Reza Pahlavi. It supported the 1979 Islamic Revolution but soon had a falling out with Grand Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini and turned against his clerical government, carrying out a series of assassinations and bombings in the Islamic Republic.

MEK members later fled into Iraq and backed dictator Saddam Hussein during his eight-year war with Iran in the 1980s, leading many people in Iran to oppose the group. Although now largely based in Albania, the group claims to operate a network inside Iran.

MEK members in Albania have proudly told local journalists how they have hacked or penetrated communication systems of the Tehran government and Iranian institutions.

Ties between Iran and Albania have been tense since Albania gave MEK members a safe haven a decade ago.

Albania suffered a cyberattack last year that the government and multinational technology companies blamed on the Iranian Foreign Ministry. The attack, believed to be in retaliation for Albania sheltering the Iranian opposition in exile, led the government to suspend diplomatic relations with Iran.

The Iranian Foreign Ministry denied Tehran was behind an attack on Albanian government websites and noted that Iran has suffered cyber-attacks from the MEK.

The United States, NATO and the European Union supported NATO member Albania in the dispute, with Washington vowing unspecified retaliation against Iran for what it called “a troubling precedent for cyberspace.”

By LLAZAR SEMINI – Associated Press

June 21, 2023 0 comments

Albania

Tensions in the MEK camp, 70 arrest warrants, the mujahedin claim to kill, the police deny it

Today (June 20), the State Police has carried out checks in the Mujahideen camp in Manze, Durrës.

It is learned that detailed checks are being carried out on electronic devices such as computers, phones, drones, etc.

The operation is led by the head of the state police, Muhamet Rrumbullaku, while sources indicate that 70 arrest warrants have been issued.

Tensions are reported at the entrance of the camp, where members of the MEK are protesting the situation created inside the camp by the police controls, while they claim that one mujahedin has been left dead, while several others have been injured, but the police deny such a thing.

The latter is expected to appear in a press release a little later regarding the searches in this camp as well as the clash between law enforcement and the Blues.

12:10 – VIDEO/ Inside the hospital in the Mujahideen camp, several people are injured, the ambulance is present
This morning, numerous State Police forces, including the RENEA forces, raided the MEK camp in Manzë.

It is known that the police forces have exercised control in all premises and offices where activists of the Iranian opposition have taken shelter.

Tensions were reported at the entrance of the camp after there was resistance to the police forces.

The Mujahideen claim that the police killed one of you, but the police deny it.

So inside the premises of the hospital, which is located in the MEK camp, several injured people can be seen and the ambulance is also present.

Camp Ashraf 3

An official response from the State Police is expected.

11:55 – Police checks in Manzë, one of the residents of the camp speaks: They came without warning, there are no dangerous people
One of the mujahedin residents of the Ashraf 3 camp in Manza has spoken to the media and said that the police went without any warning, using tear gas.

While the claim that the police had information about a dangerous person inside the camp, the resident denied it.

“We mujahedin are not criminals, we are not terrorists. We are the opposition of the country. In the last demonstration the dictator has killed more than 800 Iranians. The police in hundreds of cars drove in without any notice. Why are you attacking our camp? What action have we taken? We are mujahedin, we are refugees. They used tear gas. Our brothers were sick. “Some are injured, one mujahedeen was killed,” said the resident.

“No warning about controls. We are refugees. They didn’t show us a permit or an order. There are no dangerous people in the camp. Today is the anniversary of the Iranian resistance. They attacked on this day”, he added.

70 MEK members arrested by the Albania Police

11:31- 70 arrest warrants are issued for the Mujahideen, MEK claims 1 killed, the police deny it
The State Police encountered resistance from residents inside the MEK camp, during the search following an order from the Supreme Court.

It is known that there are tensions at the entrance of the camp, where members of the MEK are protesting against the situation created inside the camp by the police controls, while they claim that one mujahedin has been left dead, while several others have been injured, but the police deny such a thing.

https://dld.nejatngo.org/Media/Report/Albeu-Ashraf3-20230620.mp4

Ashraf press director Shahriar Kia told Tch: A resident of Ashraf was killed by the police attack. This move is only to appease the falling Iranian mullahs. This action is similar to the one on June 17 that took place in Paris, but this one is on the border of Albania. This is one of the blackest days in Albania. What I wrote to you is not the official position of the Ashraf authorities, but what the residents of Ashraf say.

The police are conducting a search operation in the MEK camp in Manzë following the order of the GJKKO.

In a reaction to the media, the Police confirmed the operation, while not giving details about the cause.

The police are expected to give a press release shortly after regarding the searches in this camp as well as the clash between law enforcement and the Blues.

09:46- The police raid the MEK camp in Manzë, has the government consulted with the Americans?
Today, the State Police carried out an extensive control in the MEK Mujahedin camp in Manza, Durrës, following a decision issued by the Court of Tirana.

The police announced in a later reaction that the control is being carried out at the request of SPAK and the order of the GJKKO, but did not say the reason for the controls, stressing that everything will be revealed in a later reaction, which is needed since it is a question for an important decision, which happens a few weeks before the annual Summit of the MEK mujahedin in Tirana, who have come to Albania at the request of the State Department.

“In implementation of the control orders issued by the Court, the State Police has taken measures for their implementation, with the control plan of the premises in the territory of the MEK camp, rigorously applying ethics and communication and respecting fundamental rights and freedoms of all citizens and the community that lives in this camp. The Police control groups are continuing the controls in the territory of the MEK camp and in its interiors”, the police announced.

It is not yet known whether or not the Albanian state has consulted with the American embassy in Tirana about this intervention in the MEK camp as well as its final goals.

The reason for the intervention and the reasoning of the Albanian state seems to be the factor that will influence the reaction or not of the Americans regarding what is happening now in the MEK camp.

Pursuant to the decision of the Special Court against Corruption and Organized Crime and the execution order of the Prosecution before this Court, for the control of all premises and offices where they reside for humanitarian purposes, the State Police, within the framework of an operational plan, has begun the control of all premises and offices in the MEK camp, in Manez, Durrës.

Pursuant to the control orders issued by the Court, the State Police has taken measures for their implementation, with the control plan of the premises in the territory of the MEK camp, rigorously applying ethics and communication and respecting the fundamental rights and freedoms of all citizens and the community that lives in this camp.

The Police control groups are continuing the controls in the territory of the MEK camp and in its interior.

At the end of the checks, there will be a more detailed announcement.

09:31 – With blinders and special forces, the police in the MEK camp in Manzë after the order of GJKKO
The state police is conducting checks this Tuesday at the mujahedin camp in Manzë, Durrës.

The police are executing a search warrant issued by the Court of Tirana in the premises on the territory of the MEK camp in Manze, Durrës.

At the end of the checks, there will be a more detailed announcement.

Police Notification

Pursuant to the control orders issued by the Court, the State Police has taken measures for their implementation, with the control plan of the premises in the territory of the MEK camp, rigorously applying ethics and communication and respecting the fundamental rights and freedoms of of all citizens and the community that lives in this camp.

The Police control groups are continuing the controls in the territory of the MEK camp and in its interior.

How did the Mujahideen take refuge in Albania?

The Mujahideen came under US protection after their armed intervention in Iraq in 2003 and their support for US military operations in the Middle East and the fight against terrorism.

After the US army took control of the entire territory, this group began to move from the camp established in Iraq. In 2013, the Albanian government agreed with Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, that 270 mujahedin should arrive in Tirana from Iraq. The latter received all the necessary documentation and were treated with the status of political asylum seekers.

The rotation of power from the DP government to the SP did not change the agreement reached in 2013 for the acceptance of the mujahedin in Albania.

Prime Minister Edi Rama agreed with the American authorities that a number of around 3,000 Iranian mujahedin should be accommodated in Albania. With the arrival of this second contingent of the Iranian opposition, the “Ashraf” camp was also established in the Manza area on the outskirts of Tirana. This step of his, in the public reactions, Rama considered as a humanitarian and not a political decision.

Although there are no exact official data, the number of Mujahideen sheltering in the Manza camp is thought to be 3,500.

Both the DP and SP governments have provided very little information regarding the agreement with the USA and the exact number of mujahedin sheltered in Tirana.

But who are the Mujahideen?

In Iran, they are declared as a terrorist and unwanted group, while they have the support of the US and the West.

It was the year 1965 when this group was created and from their beginnings until the year 70 they were in opposition to the former leader of Iran Mohammad Reza Shah. After the overthrow of his regime and the triumph of the Islamic revolution, this organization again remained in the opposition, and was declared “terrorist” by Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini. This caused them to be forced to leave their country, where a part emigrated to the West and a very large part took refuge in Iraq, where they set up the “Ashraf” camp.

In Iraq, they were involved in organizing terrorist and destabilizing actions against the Iranian regime, supported by the dictator Hussein. For this reason, they were designated as a terrorist organization by many Western countries, including the USA.

After the US conflict in Iraq and the entry of the US army into this country to overthrow the regime of Saddam Hussein, the Iranian Mujahideen sided with the US and NATO armies.

For this reason they were taken under protection by the American army

albeu.com – Translated by Nejat Society

June 20, 2023 0 comments

Missions of Nejat Society

70 arrest warrants in the MEK camp in Durrës

New details have been revealed regarding the checks carried out by the police in the mujahedin camp in Manzë today.

The operation is led by the head of the state police, Muhamet Rrumbullaku, while sources indicate that 70 arrest warrants have been issued.
It is learned that during this police action there were also fierce clashes between the police and members of the Iranian opposition.

The MEK also reported that one person was killed, while this was denied by the police, while it is said that several people were injured.

According to the information, the members of the camp resisted when the police learned about controls in this center, as part of an action against cyber-attacks.

Gazeta Express

https://dld.nejatngo.org/Media/Report/Reporttv-Ashraf-20230620.mp4

to download the video file click here

June 20, 2023 0 comments

Former members of the MEK

The evil “Hydra” Rajavi vs Albanian NGO ASILA

From Spring 2013 till late 2016 the Rajavi Cult was transferred from Baghdad to Albania. They set up shops in Albania thanks to an opaque agreement between Albanian government and UNHCR.

The agreement was backed politically and financially by the then American administration. The Cult was transferred from the outskirts of Tirana, the Albanian capital, to a gated compound named Ashraf 3 Camp at Manez, a township part of Durres municipality. Ashraf Camp is situated at a quite strategic location in equidistance from Tirana, the capital city. Durres is the main port and the second biggest city of Albania and Rinas Airport was the only civilian airport in Albania up to a couple of years ago.

The Rajavi Cult gradually became a security concern and a public order headache to Albania, the host country. Unfortunately, the Rama government had to yield to almost any whimsical demand of the Cult. Albania, a NATO member and European country candidate for EU membership, had to connive at gross violations of human rights committed beyond the chicken wire mash surrounding Ashraf camp. As an Albanian, a journalist, citizen I was ashamed of the Albanian government and its approach towards the Rajavi Cult. The bootlicker government said yes to almost every Rajavi Cult decision and practice such as: marriage is “haram”, having kids “haram”, family “haram”, talking to family members (let alone meeting them) “haram”, slave like unpaid work by elderly and frail health members “halal”, murder of Cult members disguised as swimming accident “halal”, murder of an Albanian citizen disguised as work accident “halal”, harassment of dissidents of the Cult “halal”, engagement in terror activities against a sovereign nation “halal”, etc.

NGO ASILA

In October 2021 the dissidents of the Rajavi Cult in Albania and some Albanian friends of them supported an initiative by Hassan Heyrani to establish and duly register at the respective Albanian institutions an NGO named ASILA (Association for the Support of Iranians in Albania). Our NGO immediately became an eyesore to the Rajavi Cult. The dissidents of this Cult and their Albanian friends were a constant target of a slander campaign by Rajavi and her well-paid friends among current and former foreign politicians.

ASILA under the firm hand of its CEO Mersuli struggled on and enlarged its activity to the benefit of its Iranian members, but also serving as a beacon of hope and an image of freedom for the poor and downtrodden inmates of Ashraf 3 Camp at Manez. A number of people defected sometimes even in uncanny ways from the Cult. Freedom for such a Cult is as harmful and deadly as sunlight to a vampire. The existence and the example of a normal life beyond Ashraf 3 was deadly to the Cult, i.e. the Cult and its foreign overlords exerted pressure on the Albanian government to dismantle ASILA or at least to neutralize it. From July 2021 every trick in the book was tried against ASILA. A search warrant for premises of NGO ASILA as well as the homes and cars of a dozen Iranian members of ASILA was signed by a judge in Tirana. These Iranian dissidents were questioned for several hours by the “Tonton Macoutes” of the Counter Terrorism directorate of the Albanian State Police. The net result was nil. Police seized no drugs, weapons, explosives, stolen goods, forged papers, etc. The whole operation turned out to be a typical “too much ado for nothing.”

MEK returned to its old ways of violently attacking a book fair in Durres (a book fair supported by the Ministry of Culture and Durres Council) only because ASILA had its modest stall in the book fair. As always, the Rajavi Cult is allergic to books! Representatives of ASILA lodged an official complaint with Durres police and duly sued the Cult members and commanders who attacked the book fair. Unfortunately, perpetrators of such a crime were released within 12 hours after being held in police custody.

By autumn 2022 the activity of ASILA and the flow of defections of inmates from Ashraf 3 Camp increased. Even an insipid and highly unprofessional but official report published by Microsoft slandering the CEO and the Secretary General of ASILA failed to deter ASILA and its members.

Rajavi and her criminal Cult were engulfed in an existential crisis not only by the activity of ASILA but also because of the utter failure of their main and old propaganda tool of regime change in Iran. Deus ex Machina, the quisling segments of the Albanian Police at the service of the Rajavi Cult, infringing Albanian Law locked in the Karreci facility (a closed camp for illegal migrants) six members of ASILA , namely:

Hassan Heyrani, engaged to an Albanian lady; Ali Hajari (father of an Albanian-Iranian daughter); Mehdi Suleimani, engaged to an Albanian lady; Gholamreza Shekari married (religious marriage) to an Albanian lady; Hassan Shahbaz; and Ehsan Bidi. None of them are illegal migrants in Albanian. They came to my country, says the Albanian journalist, as a result of a signed agreement between UNHCR and the Albanian government. All of them enjoy the status of “protected person” according to Annex IV of the Geneva Convention. After a series of written complaints, protests and appeals by ASILA, by their Albanian loved ones and by a lawyer hired by ASILA, a high-ranking Albanian police officer answered in written form that these ASILA members were locked in the Karreci facility due to national security concerns. Such an answer reminded me of the dark days of communism when Albanians were locked in prison for up to 8 years on charges of Agitation and propaganda against the people-s power!!!! A combination of ASILA action, a media campaign and hunger strikes by the inmates forced Albanian police in spite of the Rajavi Cult’s insistence to release Heyrani, the deputy head of ASILA. Yet he was issued with deportation order!

Today

The Albanian government and Premier Rama, behaving like a tin pot dictator at the service of a bloodstained ex-terrorist called The “Hydra” of Manez aka Miriam Rajavi, have scored a lot of “victories” against ASILA .

Namely:

Hassan Heyrani, the deputy head of ASILA, after being deported from Albania, lives in Greece equipped with regular residence papers.

Hassan Heyrani, the deputy head of ASILA

Ehsan Bidi was forcefully sent from the Karreci facility to Tehran Airport through Sabiha Gogcem Airport of Istanbul.

Gholamreza Shekari was released from Karreci facility but was issued with a deportation order. The Rajavi Cult informed Greek police of Mr. Shekari crossing illegally to Greece. He was detained by Greek police. They ruffed him up and kept him in a barbed wire camp for “special” illegal migrants near Gumenica town. Then they expelled him back to Albania. Police locked him up in the Karreci facility and issued a deportation order (30 days limit; point of exit from Albanian territory: Rinas International Airport).

Ali Hajari is still locked in the detention facility. His Albanian lady gave birth to Ali’s daughter while Ali was still locked in the Karreci facility. This act of cruelty was a courtesy of the Rajavi Cult in collusion with quisling segments of Albanian police and politics.

Mehdi Suleimani is still locked in the Karreci facility.

Edona Hunda, an ASILA member and the fiancé of Mr. Suleimani, was targeted by quisling segments of the Albanian police allegedly of being suspected of drug trafficking. Thanks to their shoddy work and extremely unprofessional behavior they left digital footprints of their active collusion with the Rajavi Cult. Proactive questioning methods applied by some policemen failed with the strong-willed lady. She was released in less than 12 hours and the trumped-up charges of drug trafficking went down the drain.

Hassan Shabaz is still locked in the Karreci facility

Moussa Jaberifar was locked in jail in Durres on trumped-up charges of drug trafficking. The judge ordered his release after a couple of months in prison as the “narcotics” trafficked by him resulted to be normal medical drugs bought at a normal chemist’s shop in the outskirts of Tirana. There are still persistent efforts of the Rajavi Cult in collusion with Albanian citizens to return Mr. Jaberifar to prison as he is still technically a defendant in such a “drug case”.

Mahmoud G. Deghan and Malek Bitmashal became victims of well-hatched ingenious plot. An ex-MEK member declared allegedly several ASILA members were in contact with Iranian secret service and even pretended to receive money from such services. The two above mentioned gentlemen though completely innocent got scared because of such baseless allegations and decided to leave Albanian illegally to save themselves of false charges leveled by quisling segments of the Albanian police.

Each of them bought a forged Italian passport and tried to leave Albania for Brindisi in Italy via the Albanian Port of Vlore. Strange enough they bought these passports from an old contact of the Rajavi Cult, the same person who equipped with a forged EU country passport another defector of the Rajavi Cult a couple of years ago. The police in Vlora detained both of them and now the poor fellows are indicted under “possession of forged identification documents” charges, Article 166 of Albanian Criminal Code. If found guilty by a court of law they face 6 months to 3 years jail sentence!

Mohammad Reza, who seems to be the ASILA member, is next target of the Rajavi Cult. Albanian matchmakers are trying hard to engage him to an Albanian woman who was the lover and who also pressed trumped-up charges and sued Bijan Pooladrag, an Iranian defector of the Rajavi Cult. Unfortunately, Mr. Pooladrag received a ten-year sentence on false charges of terrorism by a court in Tirana. It is highly possible and probable that such a woman of liberal behavior will set a similar trap (trumped-up charges and a long stint in prison) for Mohammad Reza, too.

In conclusion, there are 11 members of ASILA association in forced exile, in prison, in the Karreci facility, under court investigation pending a possible prison sentence. All of them without charge or on trumped-up charges! ASILA only has a modest 33 members, so 11 members in trouble means that the Rajavi Cult has managed to neutralize or semi-neutralize one third of the members. Yet ASILA is not dead or moribund.
ASILA is fighting hard and resisting!

By Mohammad Pouladvand

June 19, 2023 0 comments

Mujahedin Khalq; A proxy force

The damage by accepting MEK largesse is not limited to the Iran matter

Partisan battles are a contact sport in Washington. Few people expect congressmen to reach across the aisle as they did just a couple of decades ago. At first, public perception of politicians decreased. Then, respect for media hemorrhaged as journalists abandoned even the pretense of neutrality and as the line between reporting and editorializing disintegrated.

Increasingly, would-be students and their families question whether higher education is worth it, given the combination of soaring prices and indoctrination under the guise of diversity, equity, and inclusion initiatives. Corporations also find themselves at the epicenter of competing boycotts as executives realize political virtue signaling has a price.

The FBI and intelligence community, too, allowed themselves to descend the partisan rabbit hole at the expense of their credibility as they allowed political operatives to hijack them and as recent retirees tweeted or signed partisan letters, each of which eroded their decades-earned reputation for neutrality.

As American institutions tore themselves apart or allowed politics to infiltrate everything, the military initially stood apart. Even though a decreasing proportion of people serve or even know those who do, the military’s professionalism and studious efforts to avoid even the appearance of partisanship long enabled the military to stand alone as an institution widely respected across the partisan spectrum.

Endorsing MEK cult leader for cash by military retirees

One of the most deleterious legacies of the Trump administration, though, was growing efforts to politicize the service. Gen. Mark Milley, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, erred when he walked with President Donald Trump through Lafayette Square after police used tear gas to clear the area adjacent to the White House of Black Lives Matter protesters. To Milley’s credit, he readily acknowledged the error, but the damage was done.

Nor was Milley alone in his stumble into partisanship. Democratic and Republican organizations gathered retired flag officers to sign letters meant to endorse certain positions or vilify others. Each letter made headlines but became a chip in the credibility of the institution.

Such letters are bad enough, but they are minor compared to the poor judgment of retired flag officers who endorse the Mujahedin al Khalq Organization, or MEK, a cultlike group of Iranian exiles complicit in past terrorism against Americans.

In recent years, the group has collected extensive endorsements, usually in exchange for generous donations or honoraria. Gens. Hugh Shelton and Peter Pace, both former chairmen of the Joint Chiefs of Staff; Wesley Clark, former supreme allied commander Europe; Gen. Anthony Zinni, former commander of U.S. Central Command; Gen. James Jones, former national security adviser; Gen. James Conway, former commandant of the Marine Corps; and Gen. Jack Keane, a former Army vice chief of staff have each signed onto statements or endorsed MEK leader Maryam Rajavi.

Rather than encourage freedom for Iran or an end to Iranian terror, each sets back the cause due to the hatred ordinary Iranians have for a group that first allied with Ayatollah Khomeini and then defected to the late Iraqi dictator Saddam Hussein.

As top military retirees endorse a cult leader for cash, not only does the United States lose credibility in the eyes of ordinary Iranians, but the Iranian regime uses the endorsements to rally ordinary Iranians around the nationalist flag.

The damage retired officers do by accepting MEK largesse is not limited to the Iran matter. Taking money from the MEK corrupts the reputation of the U.S. military. Rajavi or the various organizations she controls do not offer honoraria or plane tickets to Shelton and Jones because she respects them or their knowledge of Iran. Rather, she wants to rent associations with the positions they held in the military.

In effect, there is little difference between allowing Rajavi’s organization to ghostwrite op-eds and former national security adviser Michael Flynn turning his pen over to Turkey’s regime. Strictly speaking, it might be legal, but it is deeply unethical and smells like corruption.

Those accepting MEK cash may believe there is no price to pay for an easy reward, but they are wrong: The price extracted from the military’s reputation is huge.

By Michael Rubin – Washington Examiner

June 18, 2023 0 comments

The cult of Rajavi

MCN TV interview with Aldo Sollulari, media director of ASILA

The Albanian MCN TV interviewed Aldo Sollulari, the media director of the Association for the Support of Iranians Living in Albania (ASILA). Sollulari, the Albanian journalist and TV host explained how he got to know the Iranian community in Albania including ASILA. He spoke of the needs and the missions of the association.

Sollulari got acquainted with ASILA via a friend of his who is the interpreter of the association. He was emotionally motivated to join ASILA after he learned about its activities and goals. Then, he decided to professionally work with it.

He says about ASIA, “Since two years ago, ASILA has worked to integrate the Iranians in the Albanian society and it still has some needs to fulfill. They are aimed to support Iranians pursuing their demands to achieve better social and economic conditions.”

MCN TV interview with Aldo Sollulari, media director of ASILA

The media director of ASILA also states that these Iranians who have been brought to Albania by the Mujahedin Khalq Organization (MEK/ PMOI) and most of them are isolated in a camp in Manez, do not enjoy democracy.

According to him, “A part of residents of the MEK’s camp in Manez who wanted to be free and to enjoy the democracy they thought they would have in Albania, left the group. They founded their social base in Albania and got adapted to the society by turning their passions to careers.”

As the media director of ASILA, Sollulari defines his duty as aiding ASILA to be promoted in media. He continued to speak of the association’s efforts to create interactions between the two countries, Iran and Albania, in particular in the absence of the Iranian embassy in Tirana.

He believes that the Iranian citizens of Albania has not enjoyed the Albanian democracy as they expected before they left the Cult of Rajavi. “Most of those who left the group say in tears that they were not allowed to call their mothers,” he says.

When Aldo Sollulari speaks about mothers of the MEK members who have been awaiting a phone call from their loved child in the group, he talks about Soraya Abdollahi as saying: “I want to introduce a lady called Mother Soraya who has been out many times through conferences and on televisions in Albania, where he asks with tears in his eyes and he says that I have been missing my son’s scent for 30 years.”

Sollulari compares the MEK with narcotic groups that some of them have declared that communication with family is forbidden. According to this Albanian journalist, the restrictions that the MEK has created against emotional relations has exceeded moral boundaries. Restrictions such as prohibition of marriage and having children.”

He notices the fact that MEK leaders have told lies to certain mothers that their children have died because they do not want to leave the slightest hope in the heart of mothers. About his own motivations to cooperate with ASILA, he says, “I personally want to be the voice of those mothers who live in Iran and cannot come here.”

Criticizing the leaders of the MEK he states, “We live in 2023 and technology has advanced. why do some organizations forbid telephone communication? Mr. Rajavi who is the leader of this group, for those who do not know, has forbidden family relationships.”

Media director of ASILA believes that ASILA has been successful in achieving a part of its objectives to integrate the community it represents into economic and social life in the best way.

June 17, 2023 0 comments

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