… The paper said that about three thousand men live at Camp Ashraf, called Camp New Iraq by the Iraqi authorities, and over 70% of them are over fifty years old. It is not clear what can be done with them. Asharq Al-Awsat spoke to people who have recently escaped from the camp. They spoke of the terrible conditions there, and said that anyone wanting to leave was severely punished, even tortured …

Since the invasion of coalition forces and the fall of Saddam Hussein a large number of Ashraf residents defected from the group, returned to Iran or went to Europe where some of them succeeded to reveal the nature of MKO in european organizations such as European Parliament. This kind of consequence of MEK members’ defection caused the cult’s leaders a strong feeling of fear which has turned in to a phobia. For MKO’s leader Massoud Rajavi, a good critic is a dead critic. ..

Sympathizing with the families of terror victims in Iran Gianni De Michelis continued: I could see when I was at the office that unlike its terrorist nature the MKO[aka MEK/PMOI] cult tried to portray itself a pro-human rights and democratic organization; but they are terrorists and I strongly condemn their crimes.The term “cult” in political literature of Italy is applied to highly dangerous groups which are severely brainwashed and affected by their tyrannical leaders and have no more human emotions.

..The other opposition groups who were members of NCR also defected from the council since they saw the principal axis they had based their coalition on was being violated by MKO/MEK/PMOI whose leader, Massoud Rajavi was taking the most undemocratic steps against his own nation by cooperating with Iraqi Baath regime. On the other hand, a more important factor of NCR’s decline was that MEK was not playing the role of an ally but it was considering itself as the main element of the council…

Mr. Alamdar Shaygan who had been forced to spend 22 years of his life behind the bars of Rajavis’ cult managed to break away from this notorious cult by reaching himself to the main gate of Ashraf Garrison and joined the families behind the Ashraf gates.

During the last three decades, Rajavi never consented to be in such a full retreat. It has its roots in his pathological delusion and simplistic political views. He is not aware of the fact that all his challenges are not due to his wrong and cursory decision makings yet his ignorance of the internal conditions of Iran and the public view that is the main challenge met by MKO. ..