++ Deutsche Welle published three interviews in Albanian concerning the Mojahedin Khalq presence in that country. Titled ‘It would be wrong to ignore the Mojahedin in Albania’ Anne Khodabandeh’s interview stresses her concern that unless the MEK is disbanded and the members treated as individual refugees, these radicalised terrorists could re-create the cultic training camps which exist in other countries which host the MEK. The danger would be if the MEK, as mercenaries, offered their training and logistical support to other terrorist groups. German-Iranian expert Ali Sadrzadeh suggested that the Americans chose to resettle the MEK organisation in Albania because that country’s relations with Iran are not strong. Moving the whole group to a Western European country would have created problems at a time they are trying to adjust their relations with Iran following the joint nuclear agreement. He dismisses any terrorist threat from the MEK because the group said it had renounced violence and the members are old. Sadrzadeh says the MEK will continue with its internet propaganda from Albania. The third interview, with MEK member Farzin Bahadur Goudarzi introduced as the PR representative, reveals clearly that the MEK have set up an extra-judicial enclave in the country. At their base “A camera records everyone who enters and exits from the iron gate opened and closed from inside.” Gourdarzi claims to fear for his life because the Iranian authorities would come after him if only they knew he was there!

++ Awaa Association published a two-part video of a meeting of former MEK members in Cologne to mark International Women’s Day. Representative from several Societies and Associations met together.

++ On the occasion of Chahar Shanbe Suri Maryam Rajavi broadcast her usual incitements to violence for the people of Iran. Days ahead, critics were already asking her not to be embarrassing because no-one listens to her. Some even pointed out that if Maryam Rajavi thinks anyone does listen, why not ask them to rise up on any other day of the year? There is no skill in asking people to come out on to the streets during a public celebration! ‘It’s like telling people to take their socks off before they go to bed’ quipped one commentator.

++ Davoud Baqervand Arshad participated in a meeting in Geneva organised by UN Watch. He posted a brief in Farsi in the No to Terrorism website.

++ There has been further negative reaction to the writings and ramblings of Parviz Khazai (NCRI representative for Scandinavia). As the days pass his writing becomes more disgusting. People ask, ‘where is it going with this kind of base language?’ On the other hand, commentators note that Khazai heaps praise on Massoud Rajavi and calls him the ‘Commander-in-Chief of the National Liberation Army of Iran’ –  a title Rajavi doesn’t even accord himself these days.

++ Milad Ariyaee of Ghalam (Pen) Association wrote a short note called ‘The Last Strategy’. It consists of headline reminders of Rajavi’s failures and losses – from Iran to France to Iraq and now to Albania. Every time, says Ariyaee, the MEK brings some justification to delude themselves. He wonders how they will explain themselves now they are in Albania. He ends saying “no wonder Rajavi doesn’t come out of his hiding hole!”

In English:

++ Mazda Parsi writes in Nejat Bloggers about the MEK’s approach to women’s rights. “The MKO considers ‘the political and cultural landscape for Iranian women as incredibly poor’ while female defectors of the group everyday reveal new dimensions of women’s rights abuses committed in the cult-like system of the group.”

++ Anne Khodabandeh’s interview with Deutsche Welle is published in English.

++ Nejat Society has written a letter to the UN office in Tehran explaining about the cultic abuse inside the MEK and asking for more to be done to ensure families can contact their loved ones in the MEK.

March 18, 2016

++ On the occasion of International Women’s Day much was written about the suffering of women inside the MEK. Many were personal accounts. This week it surfaced that Maryam Rajavi had organised a meeting in a church in Tirana, Albania and in a governmental building in Paris to mark Women’s Day. She failed because both France and Albania put a stop to her plans. Rajavi was unable to travel to Albania so instead the MEK hired a hotel salon in Paris for her.

++ Massoud and Anne Khodabandeh’s Huffington Post article on the MEK in Albania was translated into Arabic and Farsi. The issue is gaining momentum as more and more people are asking what is really happening there.

++ Narges Beheshti, from the MEK families, wrote an open letter to Iraq’s Prime Minister Haider Al Abadi which was published in Arabic and Farsi in a wide range of publications. Narges explains that her brother Morteza was injured in clashes in Camp Ashraf and then deliberately left to die because he was a dissenting member. Morteza’s son has never seen his father and was brought up by family in Iran. The MEK prevented both sister and son from attending his funeral. Another brother, Mustapha, is still in Camp Liberty and Narges hasn’t seen him for fourteen years. She says that people who come out of the camp tell her he is being kept by force and wants to leave. In her letter Narges holds Al Albadi responsible for what happens in his country – she says, “it is not the UNHCR’s country”. She also alleges that there is evidence some officials in the UNHCR are being bribed by the MEK.

++ After visiting hospital, Karim Gholami from Fanous Association in Germany wrote a note about his situation. He titles it ‘Today’s suffering, the result of yesterday’s abuse’. Gholami was injured in the Chehel Cheraq operation but didn’t receive proper medical attention and was left disabled and is a wheelchair user. Now, when he visits doctors in Germany they tell him this could have been avoided. In his piece, Gholami names several people in the MEK who pretended to be doctors but weren’t qualified.

++ Former MEK member Ghaffour Fatahian from Payvand Assoc works as a painter and decorator in Paris. He relates a recent incident when he began working in the house of an Iranian homeowner. The owner was curious about how Fatahian had come to be in Paris. He says, “when I related my experiences with the MEK, he became impassioned and started swearing at Rajavi and all the rest of them”. It turned out that this owner was being pursued by people like Mehdi Abrishamchi to join the National Council of Resistance as a personality. The owner said, “no matter how much I reject them and swear at them to their faces, they refuse to go away. They have no shame and no dignity”. He said, “the only good thing that happened to me was that I was a political prisoner in Iran at the same time as Massoud Rajavi. I got to see who he really was and because of that they could never fool me. Sadly, for people like you [Fatahian], you had to go through all these bad experiences for many years and had to wait until now to see him for what he is”.

In English:

++ Mazda Parsi of Nejat Bloggers has translated Maryam Sanjabi’s story into English. Sanjabi joined the MEK in 1986 and rose to become a high level member. But this all changed when she was accused of being an ‘agent of the Iranian regime’. After this, Sanjabi was subjected to interrogation and severe physical beatings before, in what she describes as “dark comedy”, the MEK declared her innocent. Sanjabi managed to escape the MEK and now tells her story to warn the international community to beware Maryam Rajavi’s claims to support women’s rights.

++ Al Mastar News, Baghdad reports ‘Saudi backed Mujahedin-e Khalq Organization (MKO) cooperate with ISIS’. “According to well-informed security sources, today morning Iraqi Federal Police foiled a suicide attack by a group of MKO terrorists who attempt to target a gathering of prominent Sunni clerics. Although Iraqi Police spokesman was reluctant to go into further details, but the previous confessions made by arrested ISIS members show the great degree to which MKO is cooperating with the so-called Islamic State. Maryam Rajavi, the self-styled president of People’s Mujahedin of Iran, has ordered her clique to develop close relation with ISIS field commanders. Observers believe due to MKO’s military acumen in guerrilla wars and committing myriad of terror operations against civilians, the remnants of this terrorist group serve as valuable tools for ISIS in murdering key Iraqi figures.”

++ On Saturday March 5th, former members of the Mujahedin Khalq Organization (the MKO), active in different human rights associations including Aawa, Pen Club, Iran-Fanous and Women Association, held a conference in Koln, Germany. The meeting was held on the occasion of the International women’s Day to cherish hundreds of women who are still taken as hostages behind the MKO’s cult-like bars.

++ Mir Bagher Sedaghi, Switzerland, wrote an open letter to Archbishop Anastasios of Tirana thanking him ensuring that Maryam Rajavi’s deceptive hiring of a church in Albania’s capital was cancelled. Exposure of the MEK’s nefarious activities in Albania’s media ensured that the esteemed religious leader was made aware of the MEK’s plans in advance.

 March 11, 2016