MKO former members
Anne Singleton became involved with the Iranian Mojahedin when she was at University in the late 1970s. Initially offering practical and political support she eventually became so immersed in the group she went to a military training camp in Iraq for 3 months. Eventually she became disillusioned and struggled to leave.
So how did a girl from Sheffield get involved in a radical group from Iran? Anne talks to Jenni about her experiences.
13 former members have returned to Iran by the cooperation of Islamic Republic, Red Crescent, International Red Cross and other officials.
Earlier, hundreds of other members of MKO who’d left the group’s camp in Iraq returned to the country.
following the return news of 13 defectors of Rajavi’s cult who were settled in American camps, it is declared that these members with cooperation of Red Cross on a private flight of that organization via Mehr Abad Airport repatriated and joined their families.
We were passing the Kurdish township of “Tuz” when we heard the ill-fated voice of Rajavi on radios. “Revolutionary guards and agents of Iranian regime in Kurdish clothes are going to attack MKO members, therefore kill them as soon as you see them” this was his message!Neither anyone nor I could have thought that there’s something else behind this event.
five more members of MEK fled from the evil Rajavi’s Organization and repatriated, on August 23, 2005 . According to received news these defectors returned to Iran on a private flight by the help of International Red Cross.
…about 500 MKO members have managed to flee Ashraf camp and successfully return home through the cooperation of the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) and Iran’s Foreign Ministry. Most of those being kept by the MKO had left Iran in the hope of finding jobs but later fell in the trap of MKO agents and taken to the notorious camp for hard labor.
by the assistance of International Red Cross, a number of former MKO members who were settled in a US camp in Iraq have returned to Iran on August 2, 2005.
He added that the office of Red Cross would release the names of new returnees.
After the US invasion to Iraq, he escaped from Camp Ashraf- MKO’s main headquarter led by Massoud Rajavi- and returned to Iran by the assistance of the international Red Cross. He left Iran illegally in a while and arrived in Europe via Turkey. In an interview with BBC, he said of his escape from Camp Ashraf:
…we have gathered here to help underage people who have been brainwashed by the MKO. Even people like Turaj or Alan Mohammedi who committed suicide were sent to Iraq at the age of 13-14. We have gathered here to say that these people should talk to international organizations in a free situation. I was there and I know that the MKO puts them under pressure. These young people don’t want to stay there and I recently talked to Amir Vafa Yaghmayee- the son of Ismael Vafa Yaghmayee, member of NCRI- and he said that he is under pressure even in the US camp and he can’t speak….
Many MKO members (like me and others) are the people who have had relations with the people who are now in the House of Lords. These people have had contact with the MKO/PMOI since they were young and were in the Labour Party and then they had become members of parliament, stood down and became Lords, but kept their contact….