Page 48 – Nejat Society

The MEK: Controversies and Allegations Surrounding Iranian Opposition Group

In Iranian politics, few groups have sparked as much controversy and animosity as the Mujahedin-e Khalq (MEK) and its leader, Maryam Rajavi. With claims of terrorism, human rights abuses, and allegations of collaboration with foreign powers, the MEK and the Rajavis have become a subject of intense scrutiny and contention both within Iran and on the international stage. MEK also began a multiyear, multimillion-dollar lobbying campaign to remove itself from the terrorist list, including possible financial rewards to American political figures like Rudy Giuliani, Newt Gingrich, Howard Dean, MG Paul E. Vallely, John Bolton, and others.

The MEK: An Overview of Controversial Figures

The MEK, founded in the 1960s as a militant leftist organization, played a significant role in the Iranian Revolution. However, its ideology and tactics evolved, leading to its designation as a terrorist group by several countries, including the United States, until 2012. The MEK’s association with violence and its history of attacking both Iranian and Western targets have contributed to widespread condemnation.

The Rajavi Couple: Leaders and Controversial Figures

After the deceased of Masoud Rajavi, the founder of the MEK, his wife, Maryam Rajavi, they presumed a leadership position within the organization. Their hold over the MEK and its political arm, the National Council of Resistance of Iran (NCRI), has been criticized and controversial. Critics argue that the Rajavis maintain tight control over the group, stifling dissent and suppressing internal power struggles.

Many former high-ranking US officials – who represent the entire political spectrum – have been paid tens of thousands of dollars to speak in support of the National Council of Resistance of Iran (NCRI) or MEK. Ironically, these heavy-weight politicians never talk about MEK’s violent and anti-American history, but they refer to them as ‘freedom fighters’ with “values just like us,” as democrats-in-waiting ready to serve as a vanguard of regime change in Iran. Why?
But the MEK, led by Maryam Rajavi, has collected some influential American friends. They played an important role in lobbying the Obama administration to take the MEK off its list of terrorist organizations last year. Now, they are focused on the Camp Liberty massacre. It’s not an issue that can be wished away; it is one that enemies of the nuclear negotiations can exploit.

Allegations of Human Rights Abuses and Terrorist Activities

One of the most contentious aspects of the MEK and the Rajavis’ legacy is the alleged involvement in human rights abuses and acts of terrorism. Former members and critics have accused the MEK of employing cult-like tactics, including forced marriages, isolation, and torture. Additionally, claims of the group’s involvement in assassinations and bombings have persisted, further tarnishing its reputation.

Controversial International Connections and Collaborations

The MEK has garnered attention for its alleged collaborations with foreign entities, particularly the United States. While the U.S. officially removed the MEK from its list of designated terrorist organizations, critics argue that America’s association with it raises concerns about double standards in counterterrorism efforts. Claims of U.S. support for the MEK as a potential replacement for the Iranian government after Islamic Republic’s tenure add fuel to the fire, heightening tensions within Iran.

Public Perception in Iran

The MEK is almost universally denounced by Iranians worldwide and is still regarded as a terrorist group. After aiding the Islamic Revolution in 1979, bloody street battles occurred against Iran’s eventual leadership. As a result, the MEK waged war against Iranians. The group took refuge in Ashraf, Iraq, where they aided Saddam Hussein in the Iran-Iraq War. Saddam Hussein employed this special brigade in his deadly operations against Kurds and in repressing the Iraqi Shia.

The MEK and the Rajavis’ controversial legacy continues to divide opinions and generate intense debate. Accusations of terrorism, human rights abuses, and collaboration with foreign powers have contributed to their negative image, particularly within Iran. After Ayatollah Khamenei’s departure, the alleged aspirations of installing the MEK added further complexity to an already contentious situation. As the MEK’s influence and international connections persist, the controversy surrounding the group will likely endure, shaping Iran’s domestic politics and relations with the international community.

Mujahedin-e Khalq (MEK) is known for its cultish Foreign Terrorist Organizations represent a critical threat to Iran’s indigenous democratic movement. Unlike Iran’s democratic opposition, which advances through nonviolence the principles of democracy and human rights, the MEK is an undemocratic organization that pursues its agenda through violence.

The Western world must realize that this group has almost zero popularity in Iran and stop wasting their money to propagate a cultish group that will never have a chance to be involved in Iranian politics.

Granite Grok – by Amil Imani

July 26, 2023 0 comments

Mujahedin Khalq; A proxy force

A darling of US conservatives, Iran’s top opposition group may face an uncertain future

Its annual conferences have attracted the who’s-who of right-wing and hawkish, conservative politicians from the West, including former US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo, former United States National Security Adviser John Bolton and ex-Vice President Mike Pence.

But recent setbacks for the most powerful Iranian opposition group have some observers wondering whether its glory days are numbered.

A shadowy dissident group in exile, the Mujahadin-e Khalq (MeK) was once a US-designated terrorist group but today counts prominent anti-Iran Western politicians as key allies. Iran accuses it of terrorism, saying it carried out a series of attacks in the 1980s. The MeK denies those charges.

It is one of the best-organized opposition groups confronting the Islamic Republic, but it has little support among Iranians, largely due to its violent past and for having supported Iraqi President Saddam Hussein during his almost decade-long war with Iran.

However, analysts say that recent diplomatic activity between Iran and its foes however may not bode well for the group.
In the span of one week, the MeK last month witnessed a rare raid on its sprawling base in Albania, where it is headquartered, as well as a brief ban on a planned annual rally in France, where it has held such events for several years.
The MeK believes these actions were part of a “policy of appeasement” of the regime in Tehran, a top representative from the group told CNN in an email interview.

“It became clear that the security concerns were simply a pretext to placate the clerical regime,” Shahin Gobadi, a Paris-based member of the Foreign Affairs Committee of the National Council of Resistance of Iran, the political arm of the MeK, told CNN, referring to the French ban.

Albanian police said the June raid on the MeK’s Ashraf 3 camp near the capital Tirana was due to suspicions that the group was involved in political activity, according to local media. Political activity is banned under the agreement that allows them to stay in Albania. One person was killed in the raid, and police denied they were responsible for the death.

Iran welcomed the raid, and last week an Iranian official said that some of the seized hard drives arrived in his country, and that Iranian experts were working on data recovery to identify the group’s agents and sabotage cells, according to Iranian state media.

The MeK called on Albania to clarify whether any of the hard drives were indeed sent to Iran.
Gobadi told CNN the raid “was carried out at the behest or under pressure” from Iran.

‘Illegal and subversive activity’

An Albanian foreign ministry coordinator told CNN by email that the country has not provided any seized material to Iran. All the equipment seized is with the authorities and will be used for investigations, the coordinator said.

In the same week, French authorities banned a planned MeK rally in Paris citing “attack threats.” The ban was later reversed by a judicial order, and the rally took place on Saturday coinciding with an annual MeK meeting on the outskirts of Paris that hosted some of the most prominent right-wing figures.

A French diplomatic source told CNN that Paris police had ordered a ban on the demonstration “due to risks of public order disturbances.”

“This decision was quashed by the administrative courts, a decision which it is not for the government to comment on,” the source told CNN in an email, adding that “we have no relations with this organization (MeK), which we cannot endorse.”
Gobadi said the MEK’s activities in Albania and elsewhere have “aligned with the laws of their host countries.”

The Albanian foreign ministry coordinator told CNN that the MeK had broken an agreement not to engage in “illegal and subversive activity,” adding that Albania has paid a high price for hosting it, the worst of which was the July 2022 cyberattack on the country that it blamed on Iran. That attack, the coordinator said, “had dramatic consequences for Albania and its citizens, because 95% of public services in Albania are offered online.”

Albania severed diplomatic ties with Iran as a result, but Tehran denied involvement.

The coordinator said it was “deeply insulting” to be accused of appeasement given that Albania “welcomed and provided humanitarian protection to the MeK, when no other country in the world would accept them.”
The setbacks for the MeK also follow a landmark deal between Iran and Saud Arabia in March, which saw diplomatic ties re-instated after almost eight years of tensions.

Iran has for years accused Saudi Arabia of supporting the MeK. Speculation about the kingdom’s alleged support for the group was further fueled by the appearance of Prince Turki al-Faisal, a prominent Saudi royal and former ambassador to the US and the UK, at an MeK summit in Paris. In his speech in 2016, al-Faisal declared: “I, too, want the downfall of the regime.”

But in a sign of changing winds, Al Faisal in March told the France24 news channel that he wasn’t aware of an imminent normalization pact between Tehran and Riyadh and that he was surprised by it.

The prince has insisted that he plays no official government role, but his public endorsement of the MeK has enraged Iran, which called the group the Saudis’ “adopted children.”

The MeK denies receiving any funds from Saudi Arabia or any government, and insists that it “is an independent movement, standing on its own feet both politically and financially,” Gobadi told CNN.

CNN has reached out to the Saudi foreign ministry for comment.

The brief French ban on the MeK rally also came just days after a 90-minute phone call between French President Emanuel Macron and Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi on June 10.

It is unclear whether the recent diplomatic activity between Iran and its foes is directly responsible for the developments in France or Albania, but analysts say they’re unlikely to be coincidental, especially as Western states hope to restart nuclear talks with Iran.

‘Hardened neo-cons’

The MeK’s support overwhelmingly comes from the countries that have tensions with Iran, said Trita Parsi, vice-president of the Quincy Institute in Washington, DC.

“As a result, as those tensions with Iran go up or down, it directly affects the fate of the MeK,” he told CNN, adding that since Riyadh and Tehran have patched up, the MeK is “a lesser utility to Saudi Arabia.”

Politicians who have attended its conferences also include former Donald Trump attorney Rudy Giuliani, and former British Prime Minister Liz Truss.

At least one speaker at the event reportedly received tens of thousands of dollars from the dissident group.

Iran’s Crown Prince Mohammad Reza Pahlavi marries Egyptian Princess Fawzia, March 30, 1939. L-R: Queen Farida and King Farouk of Egypt, Princess Fawzia and Crown Prince Mohammed Reza, and Queen Mother Nazli.
After Saudi Arabia, Iran may be patching up with its oldest Arab foe

Ali Ahmadi, an executive fellow at the Geneva Centre for Security Policy, says those who go to support the MeK are “usually a lot of hardened neo-cons” as well as “retired politicians who are happy to take a really big cheque.”

“A lot of right wingers have this kind of infatuation with small right-wing groups that they dream of someday being able to put in charge of a country like Iran,” Ahmadi told CNN.

Gobadi told CNN that speakers or attendees have never received payments from the MeK.

As the US and EU attempt to reach new agreements with Iran, they may be “throwing in the future of the MeK in the mix” to see if a broader comprise can be found, said Alex Vatanka, director of the Iran Program at the Middle East Institute in Washington, DC., adding that removing the group from the picture could be a Western concession to Iran.

Analysts say however that the MeK is unlikely to disappear anytime soon, having survived over the past six decades despite shifting geopolitics.

“They are gradually becoming weaker I think,” Vatanka said. While the Saudi-Iran rapprochement will weaken them further, it will not spell their demise, he said.

By Nadeen Ebrahim

July 24, 2023 0 comments

Mujahedin Khalq Organization as a terrorist group

Heyrani and his Albanian wife threatened to death by the MEK army

A month after SPAK and the anti-terrorist police raided the mujahedin camp in Manze, the mujahedin army seems to have attacked again. In the last 24 hours, online attacks against Albanian citizens who are critical of the MEK have resumed from the Mujahideen camp in Manze.

On the YouTube page of the Top Channel television, which has published a conversation that the Albanian citizen Margarita Ballco and her Iranian boyfriend, Hassan Heyrani, made in the show Shqiperia Live on 13/07/2023, where Ballco and Heyrani show the horrors inside the mujahedin camp, in the comments section, the mujahedin have released insults and threats against the Albanian-Iranian couple.

The attacks on Margarita were initiated by the translator of the Mujahideen, Sokol Beqiraj. The pro-mujahedin fanatic calls Maryam Rajavit’s jihad defector Hassan Heyrani “an Iranian renegade”, “disloyal”, “supporter of the mullahs”, “traitor”.

@sokolbeqiraj1857
16 hours ago
This show, where the interviewee… an Iranian renegade who slanders his former brothers and who, after finding love, just abandoned those for whom he had given his allegiance… that is, a traitor and who supports the religious fascist terrorist regime of the mullahs…, what message can this traitor to his nation, the Albanians, give. Albanians know well that the Iranian mujahideen who live in Albania are honest people who have sacrificed their lives for freedom and democracy in Iran, occupied by the regime of the mullahs.”

Sokol Beqiraj, who writes on the portal of the former Enverist Cerciz Loloci, albspirit, and the portal of the mujahedin of Manze IranProbe, is a regular translator of the mujahedin army. His aggressive writings calling for the overthrow of the regime in Iran, according to the penal code of the Republic of Albania, can be classified as incitement and calls for terrorist acts.
Sokol Beqiraj’s writings, which are published both in Bujar Tuku’s portal, Gazeta Si, and in Cerciz Loloc’s Albspirit portal, are ordered by Maryam Rajavi, Mehdi Abrishamchi and the mujahedin army. The purpose of Beqiraj’s writings is disinformation and spreading hatred against Islam and the Iranian state. Cerciz Loloc’s portal, where Beqiraj writes, is an ardent supporter of Israel and an unyielding opponent of Islam and Muslims. While Islam is attacked on Cerciz Loloc’s website, Cecoja from Gjirokastra fanatically advertises the Islamophobic Israeli website, Izraeli Sot together with Dine Fratari’s construction businesses.

The attack that Sokol Beqiraj launched against the Albanian citizen Margarita Ballco seems to have been made by order of the Mujahideen army. Immediately after Beqiraj attacked the Albanian-Iranian couple, comments from the mujahedin of Manze started on the Top Channel page. Hailing their victory for the expulsion of Hassan Heyrani from Albania, the Mujahideen hurled insults at Hassan and his wife:

@user-yo1le2yc6b
14 hours ago
This story was prepared for the refugees of the Mujahideen camp, this girl pretends that the Iranians in Maxe’s camp are bad. Perhaps I know them well from after they read Arthur to get married to increase the population, but when they came for protection, the Iranians are good people, peaceful and humane, they have helped me in resting my term and continuing the acquaintance of 5 years. Indeed, they are smart people, but the words expressed by this Albanian girl, Sensei Hasani, fled, left, or rather hid from the camp, not to marry, but to slander the Iranians in the Manx camp.

Reply2 replies
@hirbodazad40
16 hours ago
I heard that this ugly man was expelled from Albania
Why is the hand back in the trash and out?
Top Channel is a place for good people, not devils
An example is a wolf in any skin
Nature is like a wolf
So whatever he says is the nature of a hungry wolf.”
In the wave of comments and insults made against the Albanian Margarita Ballco and her husband, there are also terrorist threats. A commenter named @frankfranky7410 threatens the Albanian citizen and her husband with death:

9 hours ago
The next time you appear on TV with Hasan, you will be covered head to toe in black.

The attacks against the couple Ballco – Heyrani, launched by the Mujahedin army of Manza, are very disturbing. A month after the state police raided the mujahedin camp, where about 100 computers were seized, the SPAK still has not arrested any mujahedin for the crimes they have committed in Albania in recent years. While the mujahedin are not yet facing justice, the death threats made by the mujahedin supporter on the Top Channel television website are frightening for the media and freedom of speech. The attack against Ms. Ballco started by Sokol Beqiraj and the death threats made against them, should be carefully looked at by the anti-terror police and SPAK.

What does the MEK intend to do with the couple Ballco – Heyrani? After the slanderous attacks that Sokol Beqiraj launched, the death threats made by @frankfranky7410, what does Maryam Rajavi intend to do? Will the supporters of the MEK, like @frankfranky7410, kill those Albanian and Iranian citizens who denounce the Mujahideen crimes in the media? How is it explained that after the attack on Sokol Beqiraj, the Mujahideen started attacking the Iranian-Albanian couple? Do we have a coordination of mujahedin attacks against free speech? Why did the MEK become active on social media a month after the raid by the police? Have the computers been returned to the MEK by the prosecutor’s office or has the MEK trafficked new computers to Manze?

The MEK has a long history of violence, terrorism and threats to free speech from Iran, Iraq to Albania. Mujahideen, as Prime Minister Edi Rama has emphasized before, have turned Albania on the basis of their terrorist activity against a foreign country. They have killed Iranian civilians, officials and scientists. They have incited violence and terrorist acts in their country.

The latest threat launched by Sokol Beqiraj and followed by mujahedin accounts, sends a gloomy message for freedom of speech and thought in Albania.

While the police and the Albanian court confiscated the mujahedin’s computers a month ago, the reappearance and re-activation of the mujahedin on social networks shows that the MEK has received new computers, has resumed political activity, which Prime Minister Edi Rama denounced a few weeks ago.

These facts, threats and blackmails, must be investigated by the anti-terrorist police and the SPAK and mujahedin activity must be stopped again.

The show of Margarita and Hassan and the threatening comments can be seen in the link below:

Gazeta Impakt – Translated by Nejat Society

July 23, 2023 0 comments

Mujahedin Khalq as an Opposition Group

Evidence on MEK’s unpopularity

There are numerous facts on the Mujahedin-e Khalq (MEK)’s unpopularity, not just among ordinary Iranians but rather among Iranian dissidents and opposition figures, and this unpopularity is growing.

For the MEK, this Summer did not begin properly. Their headquarters in Albania called Ashraf 3, was raided by the Albanian State Police. The camp’s residents clashed with forces violently. The Move by the Albanian police came after the French government banned the group’s planned annual gathering in Paris.

The MEK could finally run its multi-million-dollar rally based on a French court order, but it could never play the part of a popular opposition group against the government in Tehran. Several undeniable, clear key points are seen regarding the news, reports and pictures that have been published since the MEK’s gathering, which indicate that the Cult of Rajavi is not considered an opposition group, but it is regarded a fraudulent force that has targeted Western politicians. The followings are some true facts on the MEK’s unpopularity:

Albanian government turned its back against the MEK

The Albanian State Police entered Ashraf 3 under the Albanian judicial order. The Police confiscated more than 200 computers from the MEK’s camp. This shows the government’s determination to end the perilous presence of the MEK in the territory. It seems that the group is seriously under scrutiny by the Albanian authorities. Eventually, The Albanian President, Edi Rama said, “Mujahedin must leave Albania if they want to fight Iran.

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

to download the video file click here

Forced Hijab

During the “Women, Life, Freedom” movement in Iran, forced hijab of female members of the MEK and particularly their so-called president elect, Maryam Rajavi, not only distanced the group from other opposition groups but also it stimulated their hatred towards the group. Signs of a suppressive and totalitarian system are demonstrated in the uniform clothing of the group members.
An evident presentation of hijab control in the MEK was revealed in a video broadcasted after the Albanian Police raided the group’s camp. A Mujahed woman, named Homa is advised by her peer “sister” to cover her hair -of which a little is shown out of the front part of her headscarf. When Homa does not pay attention, she gets a direct order to cover her hair from a superior “sister”. Finally, Homa who is speaking a rather good English to the Albanian reporters is coerced to cover that small part of her hair.

https://dla.nejatngo.org/Media/Report/MEK-Woman-202306.mp4

Rented Crowd

Rent a crowd is the repeated scandalous image which is often seen in the MEK’s rallies. The frequent undisputable presence of a rented crowd that was once more displayed in the group’s recent gathering in Paris. The crowd includes Muslim Mideasterns who look for shelter in Europe, African refugee seekers, poor students from Eastern Europe and other fooled people who look tired and bored of waving the flags of a country that they might not have any idea about.

Rented Crowd at the MEK’s so called gathering in Paris- July 2023

Other Iranian oppositions

Opposition figures have several times declared their detachment from the Cult of Rajavi clearly. The group’s violent background, its collaboration with Saddam Hussein during the Iran-Iraq war, its cult-like attitude, undemocratic structure and forced hijab are main reasons for opposition groups to denounce the MEK.

The fact was even considered by the French Police when it banned the MEK’s gathering. According to France 24, there is a fear among European officials that after the 2018 foiled plot, NCRI rallies could themselves be targets of attacks, but in the letter seen by AFP, The French Police chief also warned: “The rally could be the scene of tension between supporters of MEK and other Iranian opposition activists.” The fear of the French Police Chief is quiet reasonable because clashes between the MEK supporters and demonstrators of other Iranian exiled groups frequently take place.

A few days later, Alireza Akhondi the Iranian-Swedish politician, twitted, “It is necessary to convey to world politicians that the People’s Mojahedin Khalq organization does not speak on behalf of the Iranian people.”

Akhondi’s words and numerous other assertions by Iranians inside and outside the country is a proof for the loneliness of Maryam and Massoud Rajavi despite their deep pockets of dollars to expend for buying supporters.

Mazda Parsi

July 22, 2023 0 comments

Albania

Congratulatory letter of the CEO of Nejat Society to the new Albania’s Minister of Interior

His Excellency Mr. Taulant Bala
Honorable Interior Minister of the Republic of Albania
Greetings and Regards,

I am Ebrahim Khodabandeh, the CEO of Nejat Society in Iran. The Nejat Society belongs to the families of the members of the Mojahedin-e Khalq Organization (MEK, MKO), who are currently based in Albania.

On behalf of the expectant families of the members of the MEK, who have been eager to connect with their loved ones for decades, I would like to congratulate you on your appointment as the Minister of Interior of the Republic of Albania and wish you continued success in your new position.

As you surely know, the MEK, after it was expelled from Iraq and no country was willing to accept them, based on the agreement made in 2014 between the then Ministry of Interior of Albania, the then State Department of the United States, and the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees, and the MEK in Geneva, was moved to Albania based on humanitarian considerations. This transfer was completed in 2016.

At first, these people were supposed to go to other countries as refugees after a period of rehabilitation and a short stay in Albania, but this did not happen, and instead of this, they were able to find their promised paradise, an isolated and remote camp in the outskirts of Manëz, which is twice the size of the city. It is used for isolating the members and disconnect them from the outside world, especially with their families.

During the past seven years, this organization had all kinds of support from the government of Albania, and at its headquarters in Albania, using the unlimited Internet of Albania, it targeted the psychological and physical security of the people of Iran, as well as numerous cases of law and regulation violations, including fraud and money laundering and human and goods trafficking, which were reflected in the media, and even suspicious cases of murder inside the camp were reported.

When the Albanian government, based on its sovereignty and national security interests, after receiving numerous complaints even from other European countries, decided to search this camp on June 20 this year for the first time in 7 years, the operating police forces faced violent countering and attack. Since then, this organization has taken a hostile attitude towards the Albanian government and police in its propaganda and has forgotten all the previous humanitarian support they enjoyed for several years at once.

During these years, a large number of members of the MEK, who no longer wanted to be members of a terrorist organization and denied continuing to experience new slavery, separated from this organization. Some left Albania and some still live in the country. A group of these people formed the Association for the Support of Iranians Living in Albania (ASILA) with the help of a number of Albanian citizens, which is supported by the Nejat Society and Families in Iran.
Unfortunately, in contrast to the freedom of action that the MEK, especially for traveling outside of Albania, the members of this association face all kinds of restrictions. Including the fact that so far, the government of Albania has not given visas to their families to enter Albania, in order to satisfy the wishes of the MEK, and on the other hand, they do not have the possibility of obtaining travel documents to visit their families in a third country.

The MEK violates the most basic human rights of its members, including the right to communicate with the family, and this issue has imposed severe suffering and deprivation on their families for decades, and unfortunately, despite the fact that the families have repeatedly written to the Albanian statesmen and requested to establish this communication, but no attention has been paid.

Recently, on June 30 this year, nearly 700 families gathered in front of the Turkish Embassy in Tehran, which protects the interests of the Albanian government in Iran, and expressed their gratitude for the responsible action of the Albanian government towards the MEK and their demands. They presented themselves to the Turkish Embassy through a ten-point final statement (attached), which requests contact with their loved ones.

Once again, on behalf of the expectant families, I wish you success in your new position and my readiness as someone who has held many responsibilities in this organization for 23 years, especially in the international relations department, to provide any help in any field. I am ready to provide what is needed, especially in order to know more and better about the MEK and the mentality of the leaders and their performance.

Respects
Ebrahim Khodabandeh
CEO of the Nejat Society
July18, 2023

July 18, 2023 0 comments

Mujahedin Khalq Organization as a terrorist group

MEK does not speak on behalf of the Iranian people; member of the Swedish Parl.

The Mujahedin-e Khalq (MEK) is notoriously known among Iranian opposition. Once an Islamic-Marxist anti-West group in Iran and later an ally of Saddam Hussein in Iraq, it has a long history of violent acts in Iran and Iraq. The European Union listed it as a terrorist organization until 2009. The U.S. and Canada also listed it as a terrorist entity until 2012. However, since its removal from terror list, it has been endeavoring to portrait itself as a democratic alternative to the Iranian government, but it is still unpopular among Iranians inside Iran and the Iranian diaspora.

As an example of the outcome of the MEK’s multimillion-dollar lobbying campaign, the leader of the MEK, Maryam Rajavi, was received in an event at the Italian Parliament, last week. Eventually, the Iranian foreign ministry summoned Italy’s Ambassador to Tehran Giuseppe Perrone to protest the Italian parliament’s hosting of the ringleader of “the anti-Iran terrorist Mujahedin Khalq Organization”. Iran called on Italy to respect its international obligations in the fight against terrorism.

On the other side was an Iranian opposition figure, Alireza Akhondi, the Swedish politician who had warned the world politicization in particular the ones of Italy to beware that the MEK does not represent the aspirations of the Iranian people. Akhondi was born in Iran and is of Iranian descent.

On July 5th, 2023, a few days before Maryam Rajavi’s meeting with the Italian parliamentarians, Akhondi twitted, “It is necessary to convey to world politicians that the People’s Mojahedin Khalq organization does not speak on behalf of the Iranian people.”

Regarding the recent “Woman, Life, Freedom” movement in Iran, He wrote, “The People’s Mojahedin Organization, previously on the terrorist list in Western countries, has made increased efforts to attract support from various European and American politicians, primarily by focusing on its lesser-known political branch, the National Council of Resistance of Iran (NCRI). However, it is crucial to emphasize that they do not truly reflect the desires of the Iranian people for a future Iran characterized by a secular democratic system and respect for human rights in the Integrated Iran.”

Akhondi asserted that the MEK has attempted “to seize control and hijack the revolution from the brave people of Iran”. This Iranian_Swedish politician made it clear to politicians “that their current support for the People’s Mojahedin Khalq as a representative of the Iranian people is unacceptable.”
He promised to illuminate the Italian politicians about the true nature of the MEK in his trip to Italy. “During my upcoming trip to Italy, where I will meet with political parties, including the Radical Party, I will emphasize this point and raise awareness about the unrealistic claims of the People’s Mojahedin Khalq as representatives of Iranians,” he stated.

July 17, 2023 0 comments

Italy

Families of Terror Victims Denounce Italy MPs for Hosting MEK Terrorists

In response to the action of a number of members of the Italian parliament in hosting the ringleader of the Mojahedin-e Khalq (MeK) terrorist group, The Families of Iranian Victims of Terrorism issued a statement expressing their protest against this inhuman act.

The statement reads as follows:
It was heart-wrenching for us as the Families of Iranian Victims of Terrorism to hear that the ringleader a terrorist group, which is responsible for the assassination and murder of thousands of Iranian citizens including our relatives, was hosted by a number of members of the Italian parliament. This group, whose ringleader was hosted by some Italian parliament members, has a long history in promoting hatred and violence as well as doing criminal and terrorist acts such as suicide terrorism according to numerous international documents.

As mentioned in recent international reports on the MEK, this group has been actively involved in lobbying political figures in different countries to gain their support by offering exorbitant sums of money. The group’s horrible historical background in murdering thousands of Iranian and hundreds of Iraqi citizens are self-evident truths which must forbid anyone to support this notorious group. One can say, therefore, that those who back this hated terrorist group are either unaware of its history or they have received hefty sums.

The statements of Mr. Antonio Tajani, the Italian Minister of Foreign Affairs, in reaction to the invitation of the MEK’ ringleader, where he said, “We are in a democracy and everyone does what they thing is right.”, is an irrational justification! How is it possible that a terrorist group and its leader are invited to a country and senior official of that country call this act democratic! If a terrorist group committed these crimes against one of the EU countries, would this so-called Italian democracy still allow MPs to invite the group’s leader to their country and also authorize Mr. Tajani to make such irrational statements?

We expect the Italian parliament members to hear the voice of Iranian terror victims and prepare the ground for the realization of their rights and prosecuting the murderers of their beloved ones, instead of supporting the terrorists in promotion of hatred and violence. Also, the Italian government should address its security responsibilities regarding terrorist groups and regard the risks and consequences of supporting terrorism.

At the end, we express our gratitude to the Iranian Ministry of Foreign Affairs for fulfilling its commitment toward the Families of Terror Victims and summoning of the Italian ambassador in Tehran over the hosting of terrorists. We, also, ask the Iranian diplomatic and judicial bodies to strengthen their efforts in extraditing elements of terrorist groups and make the Western governments accountable for supporting these groups.

Habilian Association (The Families of Iranian Victims of Terrorism)

July 17, 2023 0 comments

Former members of the MEK

MEK ex-member: I could not talk to a female member for a minute

Sarfaraz Rahimi former member of the Mujahedin-e Khalq (MEK) was interviewed by the Albanian MCN TV. He spoke of 17 years of isolation and suppression under the dictatorship of Massoud and Maryam Rajavi.

Sarfaraz who is a member of the Association for the Support of Iranians Living in Albania (ASILA) attended the show along with Erisa, his Albanian wife. Erisa Rahimi was there as an interpreter.
During the interview, Sarfaraz talked about the restrictions and prohibitions created by the leaders of the Cult of Rajavi such as prohibition of contact with family, prohibition of marriage and even prohibition of contact with the opposite sex. He considered the MEK’s strict ideology and its manipulative mind control system as the basis for violation of human rights and in particular sexual abuse of female members of the group.

https://dlb.nejatngo.org/Media/Interview/Rahimi-MCNTV-en.mp4

to download the video file click here

July 16, 2023 0 comments

Iran

The Italian Parliament hosts terrorists. And Iran summons an ambassador

On Thursday 13 July, Iran summoned the Italian ambassador to Tehran Giuseppe Perrone after a conference was promoted and hosted in the Sala Regina of the Chamber of Deputies in Rome with what Tehran considers a leader of the Mojahedin-e Khalq terrorist group (MEK): Mrs. Maryam Rajavi (the other leader is her husband Massoud).

“The wave of hangings in Iran. The responsibility of Europe “, this is the title of the conference moderated by the Honorable Member of the Brothers of Italy Emanuele Pozzolo, which saw the participation of various deputies and senators, including Carlo Cottarelli (ex International Monetary Fund), Giulio Terzi (ex Ambassador of Italy to Israel, former Foreign Minister of the Monti government, now Senator of Giorgia Meloni’s party), Marco Scurria, Giangiacomo Calovini, Gisella Naturale, Lucio Malan, Elisabetta Zamparutti (Italian Radicals). Could John Bercow, speaker of the English parliament, have been missing?
“Everyone reiterated the importance of continuing the fight against the Iranian regime and remaining united and strong, waiting for that misstep by the regime that will surely come.”
So say the parliamentary news (1), while Tehran officially protests with our ambassador, “following the action of several Italian parliamentarians in hosting a terrorist in the country’s parliament” (2).

But what does the People’s Mojahedin Organization of Iran (PMOI) represent, what our institutions today celebrate as the Iranian resistance?
The initiative, according to the Hon. Pozzolo di Fdi “It launches an important, unprecedented and transversal signal. Iran, in these inhuman and criminal conditions, must not only be stigmatized but fought, fought, leaving the Iranian people free and recognizing the people’s right to self-defense against a criminal theocracy”.

But then the piece by the Iranian journalist Alireza Niknam arrives in our editorial office and it turns out that the “Mojahedin”, which our politicians like so much, are responsible for the killing of more than 15,000 Iranian citizens and an unspecified number of Iraqi citizens, as well as actively represent a history hand in hand with the West for purposes, perhaps not as noble as those declared to the rooftops.

So who did we host and celebrate in the Chamber of Deputies, what political and geopolitical function does the MEK have and by whom is it favored and for what purposes?
By Redazione CDC

The article by investigative reporter Alireza Niknam follows:

The most important achievement of the People’s Mojahedin Organization of Iran (MEK): the repression of human rights
By Alireza Niknam

The People’s Mojahedin Organization of Iran (MEK, hereafter PMOI, ndt) is a paramilitary organization that started operating in Iran in 1965. After the victory of the Iranian Islamic Revolution in 1979, this organization claimed that the Islamic Revolution of Iran was accomplished thanks to them. Yet, they did not win in any elections and for this reason they tried to take revenge on the people and started fighting against the Islamic Republic of Iran in 1981.

The PMOI has carried out many terrorist acts against the Islamic Republic. He has conducted terrorist operations large and small. In total, more than 17,000 Iranians have been assassinated by the PMOI. The most notable attack was the bombing of the Prime Minister’s office and the Islamic Republic of Iran party office.

President Mohammad Ali Rajaie, Prime Minister Mohammad Bahonar and the head of the Supreme Court of the Islamic Republic of Iran were killed in these two attacks. The PMOI fled from Iran to Iraq and, with the support of Saddam Hussein, the dictator of Iraq, took up arms against his own country and took part in two operations against the Islamic Republic of Iran.

After the ceasefire between Iran and Iraq, the People’s Mojahedin Organization of Iran (PMOI), supported by Saddam Hussein, attacked Iran with the aim of conquering Tehran within days. Once they arrived in Iran, this group committed heinous acts, even going so far as to hang or burn people.

This organization now considers itself the advocate of human rights, an alternative for Iran and is trying with all its strength and all means to attack the Islamic Republic.

The MEK Camp Ashraf 3 in Tirana,Albania

At the end of Saddam Hussein’s regime, after about 25 years of presence in Iraq, with the financial support of some Arab countries and the direct support of the Americans, the PMOI was expelled from Iraq and established itself in Albania, from where seeks to present a new definition of itself to the world community by attacking the Islamic Republic of Iran with all its might and all means. In its new image, WIPO seeks to demonstrate that issues such as human rights are of great importance.

In the definition of human rights, we find: Human rights are the set of innate fundamental rights that every person enjoys as a human being. Consequently, they belong to all people, everywhere in the world, and no one can be deprived of human rights simply because of the geographical area in which they live, while all people, regardless of factors such as race, nationality, gender, etc. These rights include legal rights or natural rights that exist in national and international law. This definition, which is like a rule, can be used to measure the adherence of countries and groups such as the People’s Mojahedin Organization to the rule of Human Rights.

From the beginning of its existence until today, this organization pretends and claims that it respects human rights all over the world and constantly attacks others in case of suspected violation of human rights, justifying its actions in this sense, but does not underline the destruction of the fundamental rights of its own members and their opponents.

The PMOI frequently violates human rights without ever admitting a single case of human rights violations.

In the People’s Mojahedin Organization of Iran, no one has the right to go out. No one has the right to separate themselves from political life and lead a normal life. Within the PMOI, members are like slaves who must pay the price for their bad choices for the rest of their lives and endure eternal prison, dead or alive.

No one has the right to secretly or openly oppose the orders and actions of the leaders of the organization.

Any opposition is severely repressed. According to the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, the People’s Mojahedin Organization is defined as an “independent organization”, within which those who oppose and criticize the organization are transferred to prisons and torture centers.

People who criticize the People’s Mojahedin Organization are harassed, beaten, terrorized both morally and physically, inside and outside Camp Ashraf. The People’s Mojahedin and their leaders portray critical and isolated members of this group as spies for the Islamic Republic of Iran, simply because they criticized them or told a story they didn’t like.

In this regard, any defecting member who criticizes this organization or does anything against the will of the PMOI leadership is considered an enemy, and according to the order of the PMOI leadership itself, shedding the blood of these people is an organizational order, even if were in a European country.

According to numerous reports from defecting members, PMOI leaders Massoud and Maryam Rajavi said that dissidents and individuals who have carried out activities against their organization are worse than the IRGC and the Islamic Republic’s Ministry of Intelligence, ordering all the members: “Go after them, wherever you find them, kill them by all means and stand on their corpses until the police arrive”. Don’t be afraid, European prisons are starred hotels that you will surely like”.

Within the PMOI, no one can marry or have a family. According to Massoud and Maryam Rajavi, in the process of ideological revolution, the family is like a poison, a great obstacle. A person who has joined the Mujahedin and considers himself a member of the PMOI does not recognize anyone else, he no longer knows his father, mother, children, sisters and brothers except the leaders and colleagues of the organization. In this regard, quoting the Bible and the Koran and comparing himself and Maryam Rajavi to Jesus Christ and Mary, Massoud said: “Whoever loves his family more than me is not worthy of me”. In the People’s Mojahedin Organization, even thinking about home and family is considered a crime for members.

Within the People’s Mojahedin Organization, no one is allowed to study science or learn a foreign language. No one is allowed to have a personal device such as a cell phone or computer and communicate freely with the outside world. No one is allowed to call their family members.

Some people who managed to contact their families from the Mojahedin base were accused of espionage, then sentenced to death on Rajavi’s orders. As women who have left the Mojahedin say, there are no borders to sexual abuse. Some of the women who left the country spoke of serious human rights violations and others said they slept with Massoud Rajavi in the name of the ideological revolution.

Now, how can we believe the slogan of the protection of human rights and individual freedoms by this notorious organization that has been guilty of these acts throughout its history?

By Alireza Niknam

July 15, 2023 0 comments

Iran

Iran summons Italian ambassador over Rome’s hosting of MKO ringleader

Iran has summoned Italy’s Ambassador to Tehran Giuseppe Perrone in a show of strong protest over the Italian parliament’s decision to host the ringleader of the anti-Iran terrorist Mujahedin Khalq Organization (MKO).

On Thursday, the Foreign Ministry’s Director-General for Western Europe Majid Nili Ahmad-Abadi called on Italy to respect its international obligations in the “fight against terrorism.”

Tehran criticized the meeting between some Italian legislators and Maryam Rajavi, describing it as a “clear example of promoting and encouraging terrorism.”

“The Islamic Republic does not tolerate support for terrorism in any shape by anyone and categorically censures it,” the Iranian diplomat said.

The Foreign Ministry said Iran respects the national sovereignty of other countries, and recognizes protection of freedom of expression and behavior within the framework of law. “All governance mechanisms of the civilized world seek punishment for terrorists as allowing terrorists to act freely translates into destruction of law and freedom of law-abiding people.”

The turn of events in recent weeks, from Albania to France, bear testimony to what was clear from the beginning – the multi-billion dollar investments in the MKO terror cult have been an exercise in futility. The cult is dead but not yet buried.
The Iranian Foreign Ministry official underscored the Iranian nation’s hatred of the MKO. “Doubtless any move by anyone in anywhere in support of terrorism is condemned. The Islamic Republic of Iran urges the Italian government to demonstrate its seriousness in preventing the country from turning into a safe haven for terrorists.”

“Support for terrorism will not guarantee the interests of Italy in benefiting from constructive ties with the Islamic Republic of Iran, and will instead severely tarnish the country’s image in the eyes of the public opinion.”

Rajavi was reportedly invited by the Italian Parliament to participate in a hearing session of the Foreign Affairs Committee.

The MKO has carried out numerous terrorist attacks against Iranian civilians and government officials since the victory of the Islamic Revolution in 1979. Out of the nearly 17,000 Iranians killed in terrorist attacks over the past four decades, about 12,000 have fallen victim to the MKO’s acts of terror.

On June 20, Albanian police forces entered the MKO camp, known as Ashraf-3, near Tirana due to its engagement in “terror and cyberattacks” against foreign institutions. Authorities seized 150 computer devices linked to terrorist activities. At least one person was killed and dozens of others were injured during the clashes at the camp. More than a week later, the police entered the camp again and security forces were deployed at the entrance to the camp to control all vehicles leaving the site.

The Albanian prime minister says the MKO group must leave Tirana if it wants to use the country

Albania’s Prime Minister Edi Rama later said the MKO must leave the country if it wants to use Albanian soil to fight against Iran, adding that his country has no intention of being at war with Iran and “does not accept anyone who has abused our hospitality.”

The European Union, Canada, the United States and Japan had previously listed the MKO as a “terrorist organization.”

In 2012, the group was taken off the US list of terrorist organizations. The EU followed suit, removing the group from its list of terrorist organizations.