Vocal Media is Exploring the alleged Pasteur Street incident, Iran’s security response, and the controversial history of the MEK opposition group:

The organization Mojahedin-e Khalq (MEK) has claimed that around “250 of its operatives” carried out an attack in central Tehran targeting the office and residence of Iran’s Supreme Leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei. However, Iranian officials and state media have denied that any such incident occurred.

No evidence or images of the alleged attack have surfaced. The Pasteur district—where the Supreme Leader’s residence, the Presidential Office, the Supreme National Security Council, the Judiciary Secretariat, the Guardian Council, and the Assembly of Experts are located—remains under strict security measures.

In a statement issued last night, the MEK said its operatives launched the attack on Monday morning at that location and caused some damage, but that “100” of its members were killed or arrested.

Iranian media described the claim as a “comical and theatrical reaction,” writing that four MEK members had attempted to create noise in central Tehran using “a plastic pipe made to resemble a children’s toy,” but were arrested during a patrol.

Ahmad Bakhshayesh Ardestani, a member of the Iranian parliament’s National Security Committee, said: “I think it is unlikely for them to carry out such an operation, but I am not aware of the details of this news, nor do I know whether such an incident has occurred.”

The extremist group Mojahedin-e Khalq (MEK), which blends Islamic and Marxist ideology, supported the 1979 Iranian Revolution that led to the overthrow of the Shah. However, its relations with Ayatollah Khomeini soon deteriorated.

The MEK is banned in Iran. The Iranian government designates it as a terrorist organization and accuses it of conspiring and carrying out actions against the state. Many MEK members have been imprisoned or executed for membership in the group.

What did the MEK claim, and what are Iranian officials and media saying?

The MEK said its operation began at the time of the morning call to prayer and continued until noon. According to its statement, the attack targeted the “Motahari Complex” inside the Supreme Leader’s residential compound, and “150 out of 250” operatives safely returned to their bases.

The group further claimed that its members inflicted “heavy casualties” on the security personnel guarding the complex. Pasteur Street and its surrounding area house the Supreme Leader’s residence, the Presidential Office, the Supreme National Security Council, the Judiciary Secretariat, the Guardian Council, and the Assembly of Experts.

Although Ahmad Bakhshayesh expressed ignorance about the source of the report, he added: “They believe the country has become weak and that the security and intelligence institutions are preoccupied with other matters, so they want to portray the country as weak through terrorist operations.

The website “Bolten News,” which is considered close to the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, wrote that “last night, the sound of consecutive explosions in the Pasteur Street area considered the most secure area of the capital raised serious questions among officials and supporters about how the enemy dared to reach the heart of Tehran.

Yesterday, the hashtag “Pasteur” briefly trended on the social media platform X in Iran. However, aside from reports of explosions and gunfire, no images or concrete evidence have emerged so far. Iranian news agencies have denied these reports.

According to the newspaper Hamshahri, strict security measures are in place around Pasteur Street, South Palestine Street, Azerbaijan Street, Keshvar-Doust Street, and Imam Khomeini Street. Entry into the area requires a special card, and only security units, armed forces vehicles with green license plates, or vehicles belonging to authorized officials and diplomats with special permits are allowed access.

The anti-Iran group Mojahedin-e Khalq (MEK)

The MEK is an exiled opposition group that supports the overthrow of the Islamic Republic. It is also known as the People’s Mojahedin Organization of Iran (PMOI).

Founded in 1965 as a left-wing militant organization, it strongly opposed the Shah of Iran and participated in protests that ultimately led to the end of his rule and the establishment of the Islamic Republic in 1979.

Initially, the group supported Ayatollah Khomeini, founder of the Islamic Republic. However, after its leader Massoud Rajavi was barred from participating in the first presidential election, the MEK adopted an anti-government stance.

It began an armed struggle to overthrow the Islamic Republic and claimed responsibility for the assassination of several key figures.

As authorities cracked down on MEK supporters also known as the People’s Mojahedin Organization of Iran (PMOI) Massoud Rajavi fled to Paris.

Later, he and most of his followers moved to Camp Ashraf in Saddam Hussein’s Iraq near the Iranian border. There, the movement gradually took on characteristics of a cult, including the veneration of Massoud Rajavi and his wife Maryam.

Maryam Rajavi joined the resistance movement as a student in Tehran in the early 1970s and, in 1985, assumed joint leadership of the group at her husband’s direction.

During the 1980s Iran–Iraq War, the MEK carried out several armed attacks inside Iran with the support of Saddam’s forces, which caused it to lose much of its domestic support.

The MEK’s relationship with the West has been complex. During the presidency of reformist Mohammad Khatami, the United States and the European Union designated the group as a terrorist organization. However, during the tenure of his hardline successor Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, those designations were later revoked.

The MEK achieved a propaganda success in 2002 when it revealed the existence of key Iranian nuclear facilities, contributing to prolonged tensions between the Islamic Republic and the West.

In post-Saddam Iraq, the group disarmed and was eventually relocated to Camp Liberty, a former U.S. military base near Baghdad. Later, the MEK transferred its members to Albania, where they now reside at Camp Ashraf 3. Today, the organization’s headquarters is based in Albania.

Camp Ashraf 3 is located near Manëz in Albania’s Durrës district and serves as the central headquarters for the People’s Mojahedin Organization of Iran (MEK), housing approximately two to three thousand members. After relocating from Iraq, the exiled Iranian opposition group has settled in a secure compound, focusing on activities aimed at overthrowing Iran’s government.

The MEK’s leaders are based in France, and in 1993 they selected Maryam Rajavi as Iran’s “future president.” Group members also refer to her as the “President-elect of Iran in exile.”

The Council on Foreign Relations, in an article about the group, wrote that analysts describe the militant organization as a cult due to its complete loyalty to the Rajavi family. It has been reported that in the late 1980s, older women in the group were forced to divorce their husbands, and young women were not allowed to marry or have children.

The article also states that Massoud Rajavi has been missing since the 2003 U.S. invasion of Iraq, and his current status and whereabouts are unknown.

Some analysts consider him dead. Iran expert Karim Sadjadpour told the Council on Foreign Relations in an interview: “Cult leaders generally don’t retire. They either die or go to jail. If Massoud Rajavi is alive, I would be surprised.”

Real Content, Vocal Media

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In a report published by Sharq Daily about the killing of Zahra Bohlulipour and several other students during the protests, her friends are quoted as saying that on Friday, January 10, Raha and several of her friends came to the conclusion that the dormitory was not safe; for this reason, they gathered their belongings to go to a friend’s house. They arrived at one of the city squares where they were shot by some motorbike riders.

After the shooting ends, the group tries to escape until one of her friends notices that Raha is still there. When he turns to her, he sees that she is bleeding. Later, at the hospital, they say that the bullet hit her heart and lungs.

Raha was laid to rest on January 14 in Firuzabad, a city near Shiraz.

An MEK-affiliated website, titled “Women’s Committee of the National Council of Resistance,” published Raha’s photo claiming that she was a member of the MEK: “Mujahed Martyr Zahra Bohlulipour (Raha), born in 2007, was a student of Italian language at the Faculty of Languages ​​and Literature of Tehran University.”

The MEK-affiliated media even went a step further and published a message from Ali Safavi, an official of the so-called NCRI in the United States, who addressed Raha as “My dear sister, Zahra!” and wrote: “You now stand among 100,000 MEK martyrs”.

This extremely opportunistic and hypocritical act by the MEK has sparked a wave of anger and hatred among Raha’s friends who knew her closely. Her friends and acquaintances tried to clarify that she had no link with the MEK by publishing messages on social networks. Her family had previously denied their young daughter’s connection to the MEK.

Following this claim by MEK, the General Student Union Council of Tehran University also issued a statement strongly condemning rumors about the connection of Tehran University students with armed terrorist groups including the MEK.

One of Raha Bohlulipour’s friends wrote on her X social media account: “Raha (Zahra) Bohlulipour has never been linked to any armed group, including the so-called MEK, false claims and manipulated images spread by this discredited group aim to mislead public opinion and whitewash crimes.”

Another friend, who is also very upset about Raha’s blood being confiscated by the MEK, wrote: “Raha was the most alive person I had ever seen in my life. Be Raha’s voice. Raha has nothing to do with the MEK.”

Another user wrote in defense of Raha’s name: “Raha Bohlulipour has nothing to do with this dirty organization. A free, loving girl full of life…”

Yes, Raha, like many other Iranian girls, loved life and could not be a member of a group that denies life in practice and even removes the word “life” from the manifestations of its struggle. The fake narrative of the MEK that Raha’s blood was attributed to them can be proven in different ways. While the so-called NCR Women Committee website has included the fake slogan “Women, Resistance, Freedom” on its front, Raha wrote “Women, Life, Freedom” in her last message on Telegram.

Raha’s young body now rests in a corner of Iranian soil. Her grieving family and friends no longer have Raha, the very girl who was passionate about life. They are enduring this great pain while worrying that their beloved’s name will be tainted by the MEK’s notorious name.

Mazda Parsi

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The truth that the Iranian audience cannot forget is that the MEK has no base among Iranians, and every time there is a publicity frenzy for MEK demonstrations, they respond appropriately to the group’s propaganda on social media by trending the hashtag #MEKterrorists.

In these situations, social media users try to enlighten and inform Iranian and non-Iranian audiences by publishing content about the cult-like, terrorist, and treacherous nature of the MEK and its unpopularity among Iranians.

The main purpose of the MEK demonstration is political competition and rallying against Reza Pahlavi because they have already failed the competition on the streets of Iran.

However, Massoud and Maryam Rajavi need a demonstration with a significant crowd for such a rally in front of the Brandenburg Gate in Berlin. In the previous days, MEK agents tried to attract the attention of citizens in the freezing weather of Berlin without mentioning the MEK by name, exploiting the protests of the Iranian people, but they were only met with hatred and disgust from Iranians living in Berlin, the videos of which are available on social networks.

The texture and arrangement of the crowd at MEK rallies

Based on his field observations and numerous reports on other MEK demonstrations, the composition of the participants and their arrangement in the rallies are as follows: the first rows are reserved for members and sympathizers of the group; in next rows, non-Iranians are placed to increase the size of the crowd.

This arrangement is the same in all MEK rallies. The ones in the first rows, with pictures of Massoud and Maryam Rajavi and MEK flags in their hands excited to appear to be supporters of the group, but the flags of Ukraine and Syria, etc. in the rows behind them indicate that it is not a national protest of Iranian patriots.

In various European countries, MEK agents visit refugee camps and promise free trip (for example to Berlin), travel expenses, and hotel accommodations to persuade a number of refugees to participate in demonstrations.

The Arab, Ukrainian and African refugees are told by the MEK recruiters that the demonstration will feature well-known speakers from all over Europe who have influence in national parliaments or the European Parliament so the larger the crowd, the greater the possibility of influencing asylum policies.

The full coverage of travel expenses and the appeal of a temporary escape from the harsh environment of refugee camps provide many refugees with a chance to escape from the harsh conditions of refugee camps for a few days. Here is the account of a Polish student who attended an MEK-run rally in Germany in 2015.

How to recruit local crowds

For the February 7 rally in Berlin, the MEK produced leaflets and small posters in both Persian and German with identical graphics. The German version of these flyers was distributed in high schools or sports clubs and in neighborhoods where immigrants live the most.

The flyers are designed to be “youth-friendly” and reads “In support of the uprising of the Iranian people” and does not name the organizer of the demonstration. The MEK organization knows well how much it is hated by the people, which is why it refuses to write its name.

There are some intermediaries who are paid to recruit their friends. For instance, if he or she brings five people with him, he will receive 2,500 euros. For each additional person, he will receive 500 euros more.

In exchange for money, the intermediaries are responsible for recruiting participants and conveying the organizers’ messages to the participants. The more people they recruit, the more they receive. Some participants also receive money directly from these intermediaries just to attend the demonstration waving the flags that are given to them.

The MEK – through intermediaries – advises participants to refrain from dialogue or interviews. Therefore, documentation is not easy. Asking friendly and informal questions should be flexible, and tailored to the situation on the scene. The MEK agents have coerced their forces to prevent documentation of their nationality and their motivation of participating the rally.

Mazda Parsi

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This report adds: “The MEK is also trying to show the espionage series “Tehran” on one of our televisions jointly with the Israeli non-governmental organization “Sot” (Izraeli Sot – Voice of Israel) in Albania.

“The MEK, in cooperation with pro-Israel organizations in Albania, is trying to screen the two mentioned films between January 31 and February 11,” the report states. “I see that the MEK pays special attention to films and cinema in our country”.

“ARGO” produced in 2012 and “September of Shiraz” in 2015 are political dramas that are based on the events after the 1979 Islamic Revolution in Iran.

The television series “Tehran” produced in 2020 in Israel tells the story of a Mossad agent who enters his hometown Tehran to carry out espionage and sabotage missions.

Recently, there were reports that the political activities of the MEK were limited in Albania, and even Edi Rama said in a talk with the New York Times reporter that the condition of accepting the MEK in Albania with the agreement of the UNHCR was that they do not have political activities.

Apparently, the MEK want to fill the void of their political activities in Albania by showing anti-Iranian films with sensitive subjects, which have not received much attention at the international level.

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“Before my departure we used to talk a lot, “Nabi writes. “Malik said he wanted to leave the group but he didn’t know how he would be able to do that.”

According to Nabi, Malik had two problems. One was his fear of the outside world and the second was his involvement in the clashes of Camp Ashraf.
Nabi tried to convince him that the world outside the MKO is not a problem but he could not help him with his concerns on his presence in the clashes in Camp Ashraf. Malik was concerned about all the information he had about the last days in Camp Ashraf.

“After my escape from the MKO, Malik could not tolerate the group anymore,” Nabi states. “He asked to leave the group but in response he was jailed in a quarantine and then he was physically eliminated by the MKO leaders.”

Malik’s death was declared by the MKO news media as he was drowned in the irrigation channel after he got into it to help a comrade who was at risk of drowning. “Malik was a professional swimmer.” Nabi wonders. ”it’s not logical that he was drowned after he rescued another person!”

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Nurmorad is from Andimeshk; a county in Khuzestan province, Iran. During the Iranian 1997 revolution, Nurmorad was a sympathizer of the Mujahedin-e Khalq group. After the revolution he was tricked into moving to MKO camps in Iraq. From then on his family have had no contact with him.

Nurmorad brother says:” we haven’t had any contact with Nurmorad since he left Iran. Hearing that my brother is moved to Albania, we got happy. We are hopefully looking forward to hear from him.

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Open letter to Canadian Senate. Sharham Golestaneh, high ranking member of Mojahedin Khalq terrorist Organisation in your buildings.

To the Canadian Senate.

The Honourable George J. Furey Q.C., Speaker of the Senate

Dear Sir,

We have been informed that a long-term agent of the Mojahedin Khalq Organisation (aka Rajavi cult, Saddam’s Private Army, MKO, MEK, NCRI), by the name of Mr Shahram Golestaneh has been tasked to infiltrate and influence the political establishments of Canada, including the Senate, to serve the terrorist organisation’s purposes and goals.

The Mojahedin Khalq has a known track record and is considered both as a dangerous cult and as a terrorist organisation by practically all the free world (including the US, EU, UK and Canada).

That is why Shahram Golestaneh has been ordered to hide his membership of this notorious cult, which after the fall of their last benefactor Saddam Hussain, is now working alongside the terrorist groups which incorporate the remains of the Saddam regime in Iraq and Syria, including ISIS. Shahram Golestaneh is now portraying himself as the head of a made-up organisation called the Iran Democratic Association.

Having said that, Shahram Golestaneh does not hide his full membership of the MEK when he needs to. On February 8, 2014 he gave a speech in the presence of the cult leader Maryam Rajavi in Paris pledging full loyalty to the cult. He bends over backwards to support the ideology, strategy and the tactics used by Saddam’s Private Army during and after the fall of the dictatorship in Iraq.

Evidence and documents attaching this man to the notorious terrorist organisation are not hard to find. We have attached some examples for your information.

Dear Senator,

We are a number of former members of the Mojahedin Khalq Organisation. We testify that Shahram Golestaneh is a high-ranking active member of this organisation who is hiding his true face behind the Iran Democratic Association in Canada. Many of us have worked alongside this man in the MEK and know him personally.

Thank you for your kind attention to this matter.

A group of former MEK members,Faryad Azadi,

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Instead Saddam regime handed them over to the Mujahedin-e Khalq.

Karim had had no contact with his family since he was captured during Iran-Iraq War in 1986.

Finally Karim managed to liberate himself from the mental and physical barriers of the MKO cult in Albania and contact his family after more than thirty years. 

The post Mr. Aliyari defects the MKO Cult in Albania appeared first on Nejat Society.

Also at the meeting, although not taking an active part, is a man called Mohamad Sharifi. In 1986, Sharifi was Secretary-Treasurer of a charity called the Iran Relief Fund, Inc. After an investigation into the charity, Sharifi and others were summoned to court on charges of funding terrorism. According to the state prosecution service, the charity claimed the money it raised would “alleviate human suffering” among Iranian refugees. In reality all the money went to fund the MEK’s military bases in Iraq. Prosecutors described the Iran Relief Fund as a “subsidiary of a violent pro-terrorist group” the MEK.

At the time Sharifi denied any involvement with the MEK, but left America before the case was brought to court and went to Iraq. He remains on the US’s wanted list. It may be of interest to American law enforcement agencies that Sharifi is now resident in France and living in the MEK headquarters.

Charities such as this are part of an international network of money laundering entities which have been used for decades by the MEK to pass off money paid by sponsors. Money paid into the charities and associations is used to fund the speakers fees and trips of supporters such as Rudi Giuliani, John Bolton, Newt Gingrich and many others.

Related Links:

http://www.nytimes.com/1986/01/05/nyregion/state-curbing-iranian-charity.html

https://businessprofiles.com/details/iran-relief-fund-inc/MA-133140201/mr-mohamad-sharifi

https://businessprofiles.com/details/iran-relief-fund-inc/MA-133140201

https://www.fundcompanies.org/iran-relief-fund-inc

https://www.bizapedia.com/people/new-jersey/bergenfield/mohamad-sharifi.html

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He was tried for committing theft, an offense which he committed while living at the Mojahedin asylum seekers refuge in Babrru village.

The trial of 47-year-old Mohsen S. ended a few days ago. He pleaded guilty and was sentenced to 6 months in prison.

He was tried under ‘obligatory appearance’ as a security measure and will not end up in cells. The court suspended his prison sentence for 18 months during which he must not commit any further offence.

The Tirana Court decision clarified that the defendant, Mohsen S., was currently based at the asylum seekers centre located in the capital’s province of Babrru. On August 31, 2016, around 13:30, he was caught by the owner of a market stealing food goods in his shop.

The market in question is a short distance from the center where Mojahedin asylum seekers have been placed. According to the Court decision, the defendant Mohsen S. placed some food stuff into the bag he had with him and tried to leave without paying. His actions were observed by the owner of the supermarket.

The owner prevented the 47-year-old from leaving his shop. In the refugee’s bag he found three cans of fish, a bottle of a carbonated soft drink and a bottle of ketchup. The supermarket owner informed the police.

After his arrest, criminal proceedings on the charge of theft were brought against the Iranian. The defendant admitted to the theft. At the same time, he admitted that he had also stolen goods the day before in the same market but stressed he was unable to pay because he had not yet received any payment from the Mojahedin organization.

Before and during the trial the defendant admitted the offense and showed deep repentance, asking forgiveness from the Court with the promise that he will not commit such an act again. In justification of the suspension of sentence for the defendant, the court emphasized that he posed little social danger, had no previous convictions and the fact that the defendant is seeking asylum in Albania.

Opinion Website (translated by Iran-interlink)

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