News

Esmail Fallah Ranjkesh fled Camp Liberty

During the 29 October rocket attack on Camp Liberty, Mr. Fallah Ranjkesh escaped the Camp.

Mr. Fallah Ranjkesh who is from Gilan Province contacted his family as soon as he stepped the free world. He is now reunited with his family.

The Ranjkesh family have been in contact with Nejat Society and made every efforts to release their beloved Esmail from the MKO Cult clutches.

Two other camp Liberty (TTL) residents also ran away from the Camp during the recent rocket attack. Shahram and Shahroud Bahadori Gargari are two brothers who managed to release themselves. During an interview with IRNA from the hotel in Baghdad, Shahroud stressed that” not a single person” in Liberty wants to be there of their own volition. They are all there by force.”

November 16, 2015 0 comments

Albania

28 Camp Liberty residents fly to Albania

The moving process that was stopped due to the rocket attack on Camp Liberty resumed on November 3.

Twenty-eight TTL residents transferred to Albania in two groups of 14 individuals on November 3rd and 10th, Peyvand-e Rahayee Website reported.

A total number of 172 TTL residents have been relocated in Tirana during the last month.

Despite the UNHCR recent update on the situation of Camp Liberty residents which refers the arrangements for transfer of 200 more Camp residents to Albania; that is 40 individuals a week, the MKO Cult leaders have reduced the number to just 14 people weekly.

The UNHCR statement reads:” The solutions being delivered by UNHCR are current with more than 260 residents relocated since July 2015. Arrangements are in place to relocate in excess of 200 more people by the end of 2015.”

Names are as follows:

Hamid Adham Maleki
Musa Ardeshiri Alashti
Iraj Basiri
Mehraban Balaei
Mahmoud Bidari
Abdlorasul Habib Akhbari
Sedigh Hejazi
Esmaeil Hasanzadeh
Javad Rabiei
Vali Rahbari
Akbar Rudani
Gholamreza Soleimani
Massoud Shahrjerdi
Abdolmalek Sedigh Barani
Mohammad Tavous Deyhimi
Bahman Abedi
Mojtaba Alimardani
Mahmoud Farajmand
Gholam Nabi Farzin
Akbar Kazemi
Ghodrat Karim Beygi Kamran
Rahmatollah Mohebi
Ghafoud Mohammadi
Esmaeil Mardmand
Mohammad Maghsoud Abadi
Yahya Makvandi
Hamid Monzavi
Hossein Nematollahi

November 15, 2015 0 comments

Former members of the MEK

Iran Women Association took action to denounce Rajavi

Members of Iran Zanan Association took action to denounce leaders of the Mujahedin Khalq Organization in Koln, Germany.

On Sunday November 7th, 2015 these former female members of the MKO took an action in front of Dame Church in down town, Koln.

Ms. Batoul Soltani, Ms. Zahra Moini and Ms. Homeira Mohammad Nezhad condemned the deadly attack on Camp Liberty residents in Iraq. They condemned the leaders of the Cult for negligence to take proper actions to relocate the residents of the camp in a safe place.

They called on international community to engage for the immediate relocation of the residents. Former members of the cult of Rajavi asked the UN, Red Cross and other human rights bodies to put pressure on the leadership of the group to get engaged for the release of the residents who have been taken as hostages.

While the three female ex-members of the Cult of Rajavi could gain the attention of Koln citizens, a few agents of the cult tried to launch an organized propaganda to whitewash the leaders of the group and to distract public opinion from the main culpable of the incident.

By the way, the action lasted for hours. Attendees handed out brochures on the true nature of the MKO that was welcomed by citizens.

November 12, 2015 0 comments

Massoud Rajavi

Free my brother; Mostafa Beheshti

Rajavi is responsible for the lives lost

Narges Beheshti is a suffering sister who has not been able to have any contact with her brother; Mostafa now for long years.

She says:” Rajavi and irresponsible ranks of his cult caused the death of my beloved brother Morteza due to their passion for power…

The Rajavis have taken hostage the other brother of mine; Mostafa now for 14 years. During all these years they didn’t allow us to visit Mostafa even once.

We traveled to Camp Ashraf, Iraq several times. We and other Camp residents families even went to UNHCR in Baghdad. However the MKO Cult leaders didn’t allow the suffering families to visit their beloveds.

It is now 4 years that the Camp Ashraf residents have been relocated to Camp Liberty. They were due to stay there as a temporary location to soon be transferred to third countries. However, during all these four years just some 400 individuals have been transferred to Albania that is 100 people a year.

I believe that Rajavi does not intend to save the helpless residents of Liberty. He just think about his zeal for power, his relatives and friends.

How does it come while my brother and other stranded Liberty residents are kept by the MKO Cult leaders within the violence and insecurity of Iraq as captives and don’t transfer them to third countries, the Rajavi’s son, Maryam Rajavi and Shahrzad sadr and her daughter and many other Rajavi’s relatives were transferred to foreign countries.

I plea all human rights bodies to probe the suffering families petitions. I declare that Rajavi is personally responsible for the lives of our beloveds.

Narges Beheshti, Iran Interlink, Translated by Nejat Society

November 10, 2015 0 comments

Iran

US Looking for Chance to Disturb Iran Security

Head of Iran’s Law Enforcement Police Brigadier General Hossein Ashtari warned of the US plots to stir insecurity in Iran through proxy terrorist groups in the regional and neighboring states and opposition forces.

"They are seeking to stir insecurity in Iran but thanks God, they have failed to reach their ominous goals due to the Supreme Leader’s guidelines, people’s presence and preparedness of the military and law enforcement police forces; yet if they find a window of opportunity, they will certainly embark on committing crimes (against the Iranian nation)," Ashtari said in Tehran on Wednesday.

He said that the Americans’ footprints are seen in every insecurity in Iran and in the regional states, adding that the US tries to harm Iran’s security through the terrorist groups in the nearby countries, the terrorist Mojahedin-e Khalq Organization (MKO, also known as MEK, PMOI and NCRI), the opposition forces and Saddam Hussein’s 8-year-long imposed war against Iran (1980-1988).

Ashtari also underlined that the US is now supporting the crimes of the terrorist groups, including the ISIL, in Iraq and Syria by supplying them with weapons.

The Iranian people from all walks of life, including school and university students, took to the streets to mark the anniversary of the US embassy takeover in 1979 and commemorate the National Day of Campaign against Global Arrogance and the National Student Day in massive rallies on Wednesday.

The rallies were held one day after Ayatollah Khamenei cautioned that despite the nuclear deal and Washington’s claims, the US is still seeking to change the ruling system in Iran.

"The reality is that the US objectives vis a vis the Islamic Republic of Iran have not changed at all and if they can, they will not hesitate a moment to annihilate the Islamic Republic but they cannot, and with God’s help, they will fail in materializing this goal in the future too in light of industrious moves by the youth, increasing and deepening insight of the nation and Iran’s progress," Ayatollah Khamenei said in Tehran on Tuesday, addressing the Iranian university students and pupils on the threshold of the ‘Students Day’ and the ‘Day of Campaign against Arrogance’ in Iran.

He referred to certain superficial and unreal flexibilities shown by the US during the recent nuclear talks with Iran, and said that the reality behind such behavior is that the US is still pursuing the same inimical policies towards Iran, which will never be forgotten by the Iranian nation.

Ayatollah Khamenei underscored that the US support for the criminal Zionist regime and the Saudi-led coalition’s crimes against the Yemeni people reveals Washington’s real face.

He referred to Iran’s normal relations with other world states even those who show some hypocritical behavior towards the Iranian nation, but said the US which uses every pretext to hit a blow at the nation and annihilate the Islamic Republic is an exception to this rule, reiterating that "religion, wisdom, conscience and humanity all stand against such friendship".

Ayatollah Khamenei pointed to the US continued practical enmity towards the Islamic Republic, and said religious beliefs are the root cause of this enmity as it is the source inspiring the Iranian nation with resistance. "Therefore, they have targeted those beliefs using new instruments but our students and youth will foil such tricks and plots."

November 9, 2015 0 comments

Camp Liberty

Two Camp Liberty residents fled the MKO Cult

Taking advantages of the chaotic situation of Temporary Transit Location due to the rocket attack of October 29th, two Camp residents managed to escape the Cult, Peyvand-e Rahayee Website reported.

The two escapees are Shahram and Shahroud Gargari. Gargari family had several times gone to the MKO Camps and demanded the Cult leaders to allow them visit their beloved Shahram and Shahroud. However, the MKO Cult leaders didn’t allow them to visit their beloveds.

Peyvand- e Rahayee also reported the escape and defection of nine disaffected MKO members in Iraq and Albania in late October.

November 8, 2015 0 comments

Camp Liberty

UN Hotline and Email for the families of residents of Camp Liberty

The families of the members of Mojahedin Khalq in Camp Liberty can now get news about their loved ones on the following hotline:

00964-7809174160

Families can also contact UN authorities responsible for Camp Liberty through:

irqaascp@unhcr.org

We would appreciate it if human rights organisations and others inside and outside Iran could provide this information to the families of the residents of Camp Liberty.

Translated by Iran Interlink

November 4, 2015 0 comments

Camp Liberty

UNHCR Update on the situation of Camp Liberty residents

Update No. 12

Update on the situation of residents of the Hurriya Temporary Transit Location

• UNHCR strongly condemns rocket attacks of 29 October 2015 which hit several precincts in the vicinity of Baghdad International Airport, including the Hurriya Temporary Transit Location (TTL) (also known as Camp Liberty). The impact on the Hurriya TTL resulted in the deaths of more than 20 residents and dozens of others were taken to hospitals for treatment of injuries sustained in the attack.

• Following the attack the High Commissioner for Refugees António Guterres made the following statement: “This is a most deplorable act, and I am greatly concerned at the harm that has been inflicted on those living at Camp Liberty. Every effort must continue to be made for the injured and to identify and bring to account those responsible.”

• UNHCR and the United Nations Assistance Mission in Iraq (UNAMI) have been working since 2011 to find relocation opportunities outside Iraq for residents of the Hurriya TTL. These people formerly resided at Camp Ashraf (also known as Camp New Iraq). Approximately 2,160 of this group remain in the Hurriya TTL.

• UNHCR considers that all residents of the Hurriya TTL who are registered with UNHCR are persons of concern to UNHCR. They are entitled to protection against expulsion or forced movement to any place where their lives or freedom would be threatened. The Memorandum of Understanding between the Government of Iraq and the United Nations explicitly recognizes that residents benefit from the principle of non-refoulement.

• Working with States and its partners UNHCR has supported the relocation of more than 900 residents to safe third countries since 2011. The solutions being delivered by UNHCR are current with more than 260 residents relocated since July 2015. Arrangements are in place to relocate in excess of 200 more people by the end of 2015.

• UNHCR deeply appreciates the measures taken by some countries already to relocate residents to situations of safety and security. Albania’s exceptional contribution to this humanitarian endeavor merits special note. These measures contribute greatly to international efforts to find solutions for this group of people.

• UNHCR urgently renews its calls upon governments of other countries to find ways to offer long term solutions for the residents who remain at the Hurriya TTL. If long term solutions cannot be made available immediately, the urgent need to relocate the residents would justify an extraordinary evacuation to a safer temporary platform from where they could be permanently relocated to a third country. UNHCR stands ready to assist states in achieving this objective.

• This appeal for help should be read in light of the potential for more attacks on the Hurriya TTL. As well as the attack of October 2015, residents of the Hurriya TLL suffered three rocket attacks in 2013, each of which resulted in deaths and injuries. There was also an attack on Camp New Iraq in September 2013 which left 52 dead and seven persons missing. The latest attack demonstrates that the current conflict and generalized violence across Iraq leaves residents of the Hurriya TTL open to significantly heightened security risks and it emphasizes the need for a quick and pragmatic action on the part of States to ensure that these people are relocated to a situation of safety and security.

• UNHCR continues to call upon the Government of Iraq to take all possible measures to ensure the safety and well-being of residents, including ensuring access to life saving medical treatment.

UNHCR

Geneva, 30 October 2015

November 4, 2015 0 comments

Camp Liberty

Militia Says Group Was Warned to Leave Iraq as Soon as Possible

Iraqi Militia Attacks MeK Camp, Killing 26

Yesterday’s attack on the Mujahedin-e Khalq (MeK) base at Camp Liberty, a strike which killed 26 people, has been claimed by the al-Mukhtar Army, a Shi’ite militia active in the ongoing war against ISIS. The group says they’d warned the MeK to leave Iraq as soon as possible, and promised more attacks if they don’t.

The Camp Liberty base has been wildly controversial in Iraq, as the MeK, primarily an Iranian opposition faction, was an ally of the Saddam Hussein government ousted in the 2003 US invasion. At the time, the MeK was still listed as a terrorist organization in the US, but the group was left in the camp irrespective of this, pending some eventual resettlement that never came.

The MeK’s status as a Saddam ally, and it’s continued hostility toward the Iranian government, a close ally of the current Iraqi government, has made it a common target for Shi’ite factions in the country, and militias like the al-Mukhtar Army are given increasingly free reign with the growing ISIS war.

Though the militia was quite clear about having carried out the attack themselves, the MeK issued a statement blaming the Iranian government for the attack. The US issued a statement condemning the attack and vowed to support the relocation of the MeK to some other place.

by Jason Ditz,

October 31, 2015 0 comments

Camp Liberty

Iraqi militia takes credit for rocket attack targeting Iranian dissident camp

Iraqi militia have threatened more attacks following a rocket barrage that killed at least 26 people at an opposition camp near Baghdad. UN chief Ban Ki-moon has condemned the attack.

Camp Hurriya (Liberty), a former US military base, has housed members of the People’s Mujahedeen Organisation of Iran (PMOI) since 2012, a group that had fought alongside Saddam Hussein’s forces in the Iran-Iraq war in the 1980s.

On Thursday at least 15 rockets crashed in and around the camp near Baghdad’s international airport killing more than two dozen people.

Iraqi joint operations command spokesman Yahya Rasool said investigation is underway and that two Iraqi soldiers were wounded in the attack. An abandoned truck mounted with rocket tubes had been recovered in Bakriya, north of the camp, he said.

"The people behind this attack are terrorist criminals who want to destabilize the country," Yasol told Reuters news agency, without specifying any group or nation.

Shiite militia warns of further attacks

A Shiite Muslim militia in Iraq has claimed responsibility for the attack – the deadliest in years – that targets the Iranian opposition.

"We warned the members of this terrorist organization to leave Iraq as soon as possible … If they don’t do so, there will be more similar attacks," al-Mukhtar Army commander Wathiq al-Battat was quoted as saying by Iran’s Fars news agency.

The PMOI stands accused by rights groups of taking part in the brutal suppression of a 1991 Shiite uprising against Saddam Hussein, making it widely reviled by members of Iraq’s own Shiite Arab majority, which came to power after the US-led Iraq invasion in 2003.

EU, UN, US line up to condemn attack

UN chief Ban Ki-moon "condemns the attack… on Camp Hurriya, near the Baghdad International Airport, which left at least 26 residents dead and many more wounded," the general secretary’s office said Friday in a statement.

"This is a most deplorable act, and I am greatly concerned at the harm that has been inflicted on those living at Camp Liberty.” the UN’s High Commissioner for Refugees Antonio Guterres said. "Every effort must continue to be made for the injured and to identify and bring to account those responsible."

US Secretary of State John Kerry said efforts to relocate the members – in the works for years – should be accelerated.

"No matter the circumstances, on this point we remain absolute: the United States remains committed to assisting the UN High Commissioner for Refugees in the relocation of all Camp Hurriya residents to a permanent and safe location outside of Iraq," Kerry said in a statement.

“It is crucial that the Iraqi government fully investigate the incident and immediately step up security at the camp in line with its duty of protection of the camp residents under the December 2011 agreement with the United Nations,” the EU’s external affairs office said in a statement.

PMOI had been delisted as a ‘terror organization’

Until a few years ago, PMOI — also known by its Farsi name Mujahideen-e-Khalq Organization (MKO) — was listed as a terrorist organization by both the US and the European Union.

Shahin Gobadi, a PMOI spokesman, accused "agents of the clerical (Iranian) regime inside the government of Iraq" of launching the attack and also placed responsibility on the Iraqi government and the United Nations.

The group, which critics have described as a cult, enjoys a well-connected network of former and current officials who advocate on its behalf.

Following an intensive lobbying campaign, it succeeded in being removed from the US and EU terror lists.

But around 3,000 remaining dissidents at Camp Hurriya are still waiting to be relocated to other countries.

October 31, 2015 0 comments

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