Iran:Successful Completion of the Resettlement of Camp Liberty residents from Iraq to Europe

Iran:Successful Completion of the Resettlement of Camp Liberty residents from Iraq to Europe

This afternoon, September 9, 2016, the final group of Camp Liberty residents (more than 280) departed Baghdad, Iraq, for Albania. This final round of departures marks the successful conclusion to the process of relocating members of the People’s Mojahedin Organization of Iran (PMOI/MEK) outside of Iraq despite the Iranian regime’s conspiracies, obstruction and threats, which continued until the very last day.

During the four-and-a-half-year-long resettlement process, the residents of Liberty were relocated to European countries, including Germany, Norway, the United Kingdom, The Netherlands, Finland, Denmark, Belgium, Italy and Spain. Close to 2,000 residents left Iraq since the beginning of 2016.

In this process, the religious dictatorship ruling Iran provided red notices to Interpol and used fake arrest warrants issued by the Iraqi Judiciary in a bid to prevent the departure of 1,000 PMOI members, and arrest officials and other well-known figures.

Exploiting the post-invasion atmosphere in Iraq, the ruling clerical regime did its utmost to destroy the PMOI/MEK. Three massacres at Camp Ashraf, five missile attacks on Camp Liberty, two cases of abduction of residents, and the imposition of a full-fledged eight-year siege, which left 177 residents dead, constituted parts of this inhumane, albeit futile, plan.

Iran:Iranian Intelligence Agent Convicted in Germany

Iran:Iranian Intelligence Agent Convicted in Germany

Berlin, 20 Jul - An Iranian Intelligence Agent has been convicted in Germany of spying on Iranian Resistance members living abroad.
The National Council of Resistance of Iran (NCRI) has welcomed this conviction of the Ministry of Intelligence and Security (MOIS) agent and has urged foreign governments to prosecute and expel other regime spies.

The agent, Meysam Panahi, was spying on members of the NCRI and the People's Mojahedin Organization of Iran (PMOI/ MEK). Despite posing as a refugee, Panahi had worked as a spy for three years and helped to recruit extra people to the Intelligence Agency, receiving 28,600 Euros from the MOIS in at least 30 payments.
The spies would then travel to Iran to receive espionage training with help from the Iranian embassies in Europe.

Germany’s prosecution said that Iran’s Intelligence Ministry created “secret networks” in the country to spy on and spread lies and half-truths to discredit the Iranian Resistance.

Iran:Maryam Rajavi calls on the U.S. and the UN to guarantee Camp Liberty’s security until all residents depart Iraq

Maryam Rajavi

Missile attack on Camp Liberty

Following tonight’s missile barrage on Camp Liberty by militias affiliated with the terrorist Quds Force, Mrs. Maryam Rajavi, the President-elect of the National Council of Resistance of Iran, hailed the heroic perseverance of the residents of Camp Liberty and wished a quick recovery for those wounded in the criminal attack.

She said that the missile attack on Camp Liberty, especially following an inhumane eight-day siege, blocking fuel, food and medicine from entering the camp, demonstrated that the religious dictatorship ruling Iran is terrified of the People’s Mojahedin Organization of Iran (PMOI/MEK) and the Iranian Resistance, which it views as an existential threat.

For this reason, Mrs. Rajavi noted, the mullahs’ regime opposes any solution for Camp Liberty residents that would ensure their safety and security and tries to obstruct it. The only acceptable options, as far as the regime is concerned, are to either compel Camp Liberty residents to surrender and abandon their struggle or to physically eliminate them.

She called on the UN Security Council, the European Union and their member states to decisively condemn the criminal missile attack on Camp Liberty. Mrs. Rajavi said now that no doubt remains as to the Iranian regime’s intentions to cause more bloodshed at Camp Liberty, there is added urgency for the United States and the United Nations to take action to guarantee and provide safety and security for the residents of Camp Liberty until such time when all of them have departed Iraq. She emphasized that this would be consistent with the repeated and written guarantees the U.S. and the UN have given regarding the safety and security of Camp Liberty residents.

More than 50 missiles rained down at Camp Liberty, several of which landed outside the camp. The assault caused major destruction and fire in the camp, with missile craters seven feet wide and five feet deep. Based on reports received until midnight, 40 resident had been injured in the attack.

Iran: Political prisoner Ali Moezzi invites all to participate in “Free Iran” gathering

political prisoner Ali Moezzi

Iranian political prisoner Ali Moezzi, who is father to two members of the main Iranian opposition group People’s Mojahedin Organization of Iran (PMOI or MEK), has sent a message from Tehran’s notorious Evin Prison declaring his support for the annual gathering of the Iranian Resistance held in Paris on 9 July.

Canada’s James Bezan MP stands in solidarity with people of Iran

James Bezan MP

Ottawa, 28 Jun - The “Free Iran” gathering in Paris on 9 July has the support of Canadian Member of Parliament James Bezan. He has expressed his solidarity in a message for an Iran that is free and democratic and respects liberty and human rights.

His message is for proponents of the People’s Mojahedin Organization of Iran (PMOI or MEK) and the National Council of Resistance of Iran (NCRI). He criticizes continued human rights offensives that violate international law standards by the regime of President Rouhani and Ayatollah Khamenei. 

He also encourages continued solidarity to resist Iran’s persistent oppression of political activists, preventing freedom of religion, the regime’s meddling in Syria, Iraq, and Yemen by undercutting UN efforts to achieve peace in addition to coalition allies battling ISIS, and the continued barbarities by the Assad government in Syria.

‘Free Iran’ rally gives voice to those still suffering in Iran

Free Iran’ rally gives voice to those still suffering in Iran

Farzad Madadzadeh, a former Iranian political prisoner, who escaped Iran last year, has written his account of why he plans to join tens of thousands of Iranians and their international supporters at the July 9 "Free Iran" rally in Paris.

In an op-ed for The Hill on Tuesday, Mr. Madadzadeh wrote: "Needless to say, it is a significant international event regarding an important international issue. But for me it is very personal. In spirit, I will be with a much larger crowd. We will be joined by a countless Iranians still living under the thumb of the theocratic regime, who will risk reprisals to watch the proceedings on banned satellite television channels."

"How do I know? After this year’s rally, I will have seen the event from both sides of the ideological wall that separates the Islamic Republic from most of the rest of the world. In past years, I was among those Iranians who supported the NCRI and its main constituent group, the People’s Mojahedin Organization of Iran (PMOI or MEK), from a silent place inside the country. I put my safety and freedom at risk, as did many of my colleagues, to carry on the groups’ local activism. I spent five years in jail from 2009 to 2014 and suffered extensive physical and psychological torture for my support for the PMOI.  I fled Iran at the age of 29 last year."

Iran:Lord Maginnis: Italy’s Renzi is sending an ill-advised signal with Iran visit

Lord Maginnis: Italy’s Renzi is sending an ill-advised signal with Iran visit

While few will deny the principle that compromise is the essence of politics and that pragmatic solutions can be helpful within any democratic, pluralist society, this week's visit to Iran by Italian Prime Minister Matteo Renzi will, under the prevailing circumstances, send a totally inappropriate message to the ayatollahs, Lord Maginnis of Drumglass argues.

"Compromise at the cost of integrity should be not only shunned but guarded against, particularly when that compromise comes at the expense of dignity and freedom," Lord Maginnis wrote on Monday on the UK website Politics Home.

"In an attempt to underpin the Vienna Agreement of October 18th past rush we appear to have devised another 'de facto' compromise that is being made on the issue of human rights and democratic freedom for ordinary Iranians. That is a compromise that I, for one, am not willing to make. Many of my colleagues from both of Houses of the UK Parliament and other European parliaments share a similar opinion," wrote the Independent member of the United Kingdom's House of Lords."Recent coverage of Iran appears skewed in favour of a narrative surrounding reform and moderation, yet few seem to remember that this is not the first time the regime has played this card. During the Presidency of Mohammad Khatami, Iran played the moderate card to perfection and fooled many in the West. This not only alleviated pressure on the regime, but also gave it time to pursue its nuclear programme secretly, while notionally engaging in cordial relations with the West. Today is no different!"

"Under President Rouhani, Iran has recently reached a 25 year high for executions, despite his supposedly 'moderate' image abroad. The victims included political dissidents who are activists of the People’s Mojahedin Organisation of Iran (the PMOI), the principal Iranian opposition movement, along with ethnic and religious minorities. In real terms, according to UN Special Rapporteur Ahmed Shaheed, Iran has actually escalated its crackdown on human rights over the last few years, leaving little doubt as to the true nature of this government."

"If that were not evidence enough of the nature of this regime, one need look no further than its support of mass murder in Syria and its continual involvement in terror and instability throughout the region. This is not behaviour that warrants compromise or cordial relations. It is belligerence being rewarded by seemingly wishful thinking."

IRAN:NCRI publishes report on Iran’s Cyber Army

NCRI publishes report on Iran’s Cyber Army

NCRI - The National Council of Resistance of Iran (NCRI) has published a new detailed intelligence report on the Iranian regime's Cyber Army. The report is based on intelligence gathered by the sources of the main Iranian opposition group People's Mojahedin Organization of Iran (PMOI or Mujahedin-e Khalq, MEK) inside the clerical regime including its Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps (IRGC).

The report indicates that Tehran’s cyber army and the Iranian regime’s cyber warfare is directed by the IRGC top brass, in particular the IRGC commander in chief, Major General Mohammad-Ali Jafari. The decisions about cyber warfare and the conduct of the cyber army are made by the Supreme National Security Council (, the highest decision-making body of the regime on national security matters that is chaired by the President, Hassan Rouhani.

The report shows that Tehran’s cyber warfare is carried out by an elaborate state apparatus to pursue a malign and malicious state policy and that the Iranian regime has stepped up allocating resources and staff to this warfare in recent years.

Another interesting aspect of the report is that the mullahs’ cyber army boasts and brags about hacking other websites or attacking them. In one instance, one of their affiliates boasted that they have attacked 500 foreign sites and networks.

Iran - Iranian regime faces crisis in recruiting Afghans to fight in Syria

February 2015 photo of Qassem Soleimani (Left), commander

 of Quds Force with Afghan commanders killed in Syria

The Iranian regime has dispatched thousands of foreign mercenaries including Afghan refugees to fight in Syria and prop up the embattled regime of Bashar al-Assad, according to sources of the main Iranian opposition group, the People’s Mojahedin Organization of Iran (PMOI/MEK).

Incapable of mobilizing and dispatching necessary troops from Iran to the conflict and apprehensive of a backlash within its forces due to rising IRGC casualties, the regime has resorted to mobilizing the mercenaries using various tactics including threating them with execution.

n recent years, particularly Afghan refugees living in Iran have been tapped for this purpose. The Iranian regime has threatened the refugees with deportation from Iran, imprisonment or even execution (all serious violations of human rights) to dispatch the Afghan refugees to Syria.

Iran political prisoner denounces demagoguery in Christmas message

Ali Moezzi, an Iranian political prisoner in Tehran's notorious Evin Prison,

Ali Moezzi, an Iranian political prisoner in Tehran's notorious Evin Prison, has sent a message on the occasion of Christmas, denouncing the Iranian mullahs’ reactionary interpretation of religion.

Two of Mr. Moezzi daughters are members of the main Iranian opposition group People's Mojahedin Organization of Iran (PMOI/MEK) in Camp Liberty, Iraq. Mr. Moezzi is held in Ward 8 of the dreaded Evin Prison.

His message reads in part: “Greetings to my Christian and Muslim compatriots on the occasion of the birth of Jesus Christ. The birth of Christ which coincided this year with the birth of Islam’s Prophet Mohammad is a cause for double celebration. These prophets were harbingers of mercy and emancipation and equality and unity. Being reactionary is incompatible with the path of the prophets who are the pioneers of historical progress. The mullahs ruling Iran and Salafist and blood thirsty fundamentalists do not know Christ or Mohammad or Abraham. They foster despicable and ugly qualities in people and promote demagoguery. In anticipation of these festive days, we ask God to eradicate this scourge of the era and help us to establish friendship, co-existence, peace and cooperation between human societies."

Mr. Moezzi who suffers greatly due to obstruction of the intestines was prevented last month by the regime’s henchmen from being transferred to hospital. Following protests by political prisoners in Evin, he was taken to the prison infirmary, but was returned to the ward shortly afterwards without receiving any treatment.

Mr. Moezzi who is a political prisoner of the 1980s suffers from various diseases, including cancer and acute kidney disease, due to years of torture and imprisonment in the Iranian regime’s dungeons. Nonetheless, along with a number of other political prisoners, he staged a hunger strike last month to protest the suppression and the arrest of families of political prisoners and their supporters.

Maryam Rajavi, a Muslim leader who should be heard this Christmas. Townhall

Ken Blackwell

By Ken Blackwell | Dec 25, 2015

"This is my commandment, that you love one another, just as I have loved you.” (John 15:12-13)

These words of Jesus represent the true essence of Christmas and this special season.

This is the time of year to wish for God’s blessing in the upcoming year. But it is also a time to reflect upon what happened during the year that is about to end.

The world news this year has unfortunately been filled with horror, and the last months of the year brought that horror disturbingly close to home. The carnage in San Bernardino showed that the threat of Islamic extremism recognizes no boundaries and that the sense of security President Obama expressed earlier in 2015 was ill-advised.

And as we usher in 2016, which is an election year, one of the main issues of the day has again become terrorism and how to handle it, especially in the form of the Islamic State and Islamic extremism as a whole.

This phenomenon is a danger not only to our national security but also to the cherished values of civilized society. It has targeted the very concepts of cultural and ideological tolerance and has tried to undermine friendship and coexistence between Muslims and Christians which are part of the fabric of our society in the modern era.

In fighting Islamic extremism, a strategy is needed. It includes decisive military, intelligence, and law enforcement measures; but that is not enough. Part of a coherent strategy is identifying our allies in this battle and reaching out to them. And the best such allies are moderate Muslim leaders who are willing to stand up to Islamic extremists in word and deed, especially those who possess legitimacy among the same people who are living under the thumb of extremist groups.

A prime example of such a leader is Maryam Rajavi. As the head of the Iranian opposition, she is leading the charge to overturn the rule of the ayatollahs that effectively brought political Islam into the modern world and turned extremist ideology into a global force. It was after the revolution of 1979 in Iran that high-profile hostage-takings became a means of governance and bombings, suicide attacks, and assassinations became the modus operandi for a theocratic state.

As a practicing Muslim, she has been fiercely pushing back against the ayatollahs’ extremism for decades. A true believer in a democratic, moderate, tolerant interpretation of Islam, Rajavi believes anything that promotes terrorism or dictatorship is counter to the teachings of Islam, as is anything that violates people’s freedoms or denies equality to women.

By embodying this modern, tolerant Muslim faith, Mrs. Rajavi has helped to demonstrate the error of attributing this year’s barbaric crimes to Islam itself. And by advocating on behalf of that faith, she urged other Muslims to avoid remaining on the fence during the conflict that will likely define the year 2016. She had emphasized that Muslims who believe in democracy are the most effective force that could fight and defeat this global danger.

Mrs. Rajavi certainly understands and accepts the sacrifice that is involved in taking part in this fight. The Iranian regime executed some 120,000 members of the People’s Mojahedin Organization of Iran (MEK), the main Iranian opposition movement and the primary component of the coalition that she leads. One of her own sisters was executed by the ayatollahs and another by the regime of the Shah.

Yet she and her movement have not wavered.

In her message on the occasion of Christmas and the New Year, Mrs. Rajavi wished “that 2016 would be a year of unity and victory over Islamic extremism and especially the religious fascism ruling Iran and its evil allies in the Middle East who sow the seeds of enmity in the world.”

Her message is made timelier by the fact that this year Christmas coincides with the celebration of the birth of Mohammad in the Muslim world.

Mrs. Rajavi used her Christmas message to underscore her view on the need for unity in the fight against Islamic terrorism: "Muslims and Christians can rely on their common values to stand up to those who pervert their religions. So, in contrast to what the extremists want, we should make our hope and faith in humanity deeper than ever.”

We can all share with her hope for a swift end to extremism, for the freedom of various peoples from the dictatorships of Bashar Assad, Ali Khamenei, and ISIS (ISIL) terrorists, and for an end to persecution of Christians throughout the Middle East and Christian converts in Iran from the oppression of the ruling mullahs.

Because her hopes for the coming year are the same as the hopes that are traditionally cherished in the West, she should be listened to this Christmas.

Amb. Ken Blackwell is a former Cincinnati mayor and U.S. ambassador to the UN human rights commission.

No news of Iran political prisoner for nearly 2 months

political prisoner Misaq Yazdan-Nejad

Seven weeks have passed since political prisoner Misaq Yazdan-Nejad was moved into an isolated ward of Tehran's notorious Evin Prison, with the regime giving no information during this time to his family about his state.

Mr. Yazdan-Nejad is a relative of a member of the People's Mojahedin Organization of Iran (PMOI or MEK) in Camp Liberty.

He was arrested at his home on September 10, 2007 by agents of the regime's Ministry of Intelligence and Security (MOIS) and sentenced by the fundamentalist regime's kangaroo courts to 13 years in prison for attending a ceremony to mark the 19th anniversary of the 1988 massacre of 30000 political prisoners in Iran. At the time he was a linguistics student in Payam-e Nour University.

On October 26, Mr. Yazdan-Nejad was transferred out of Gohardasht Prison in Karaj, ostensibly for medical treatment; but instead of taking him to a hospital, the regime's agents transferred him to Ward 2A of Evin Prison, a notorious secluded ward which is run by agents of the regime’s Revolutionary Guards (IRGC).

He has not been given visitation rights to see his family at Evin Prison.

Mr. Yazdan-Nejad who has spent more than eight years in prison, including at least eight months in solitary confinement, had previously been arrested for visiting his sister, a member of the PMOI (MEK), in Camp Ashraf, Iraq.

Misaq’s father and mother have previously endured three years of imprisonment, and three of his uncles were martyred by the regime for supporting the PMOI (MEK).

Iranian Dissidents Mark Passing of Dissident Mehri Jannatpour

Mehri Jannatpour - Dr. Mohammad Maleki

On December 3rd 2015, Iranian dissident and activist Mehri Jannatpour passed away. Jannatpour was remembered for her bravery and perseverance as a political activist in Iran over the last 40 years. This included three separate terms served in prison for her support and affiliation with the People's Mojahedin Organization of Iran (PMOI), one of Iran’s principal opposition organizations.

During her imprisonment Jannatpour was subjected to cruel mistreatment and torture, yet she remained steadfast in her beliefs and resistance. Not only was Jannatpour a symbol of resistance as an uncompromising dissident, but she was also remembered for her dedication and care as a mother. Her children were raised to continue her path of resistance and defiance, and remain actively involved in confronting the Iranian regime and its crimes.

Mehri Jannatpour was honored by Iranian dissidents at her funeral service, including Dr. Mohammad Maleki, the first post-revolution Chancellor of Tehran University, who, like Jannatpour has continued to stand with dignity and defiance in the face of the dictatorship in Iran despite his old age.

Maleki delivered a eulogy on December 5th in which he praised Jannatpour as an activist and as a mother, and lauded the path chosen by her children. Including one of her children who is residing in Camp Liberty, Iraq, which was recently the target of a despicable terrorist attack.

 “But, they are persevering and are as solid as a mountain. They are this mother's children. How fortunate she was! There are many who come into this world, "enjoy" life and die. But the fulfillment experienced by such mothers is different.”

Maleki continued his eulogy in open defiance of the regime by openly praising the path taken by Jannatpour and her children. This path includes standing with the PMOI against the regime in Iran. The penalty for such a stance is normally death, yet Maleki spoke unwaveringly and resolute in his praise for this path, and referenced the 1988 massacre against members of the PMOI as proof that violence and repression cannot crush this movement.

“I am reminded of a quote by the late Grand Ayatollah Montazeri who wrote to Khomeini in a letter that rest assured, an idea cannot be killed through murder. You have killed so many, you have beaten so many, you have destroyed so many.”

He added, “This will be so as long as there are people who care for their people, and as long as there are people who say "seek freedom from cradle to grave."

Very rarely is such public defiance exhibited in Iran, and in such a bold fashion and in such powerful forum. At one point Maleki even states, “Let them hear me, and record me, those who are responsible for this.” Whether you agree with the political ideology expressed by Jannatpour or Maleki, it is impossible to deny their courage and the price they have paid in fighting for freedom in Iran.

The speech given by Maleki was just as remarkable as the life lived by Ms. Jannatpour. Both embody the passion and bravery of Iran’s history, people and hopes.

Maleki has led silent protests outside of Evin Prison to call for the release of political prisoners, and has been in and out of prison himself over the last decade. Maleki’s courage as an elderly man mirrors that of Jannatpour, and his bravery against the brutal regime is an inspiration to all Iranians.

Hamid Yazdan Panah is an Iranian-American human rights activist and attorney focused on immigration and asylum in the San Francisco Bay Area.

West must end wrong policy toward Iran: Ex Prominent European lawmaker

Dr. Alejo Vidal-quadras, former vice-president of the European Parliament

Dr.Alejo Vidal-quadras, former vice-president of the European Parliament and current president of In Search of Justice NGO, at a conference entitled “United Against Islamic Fundamentalism,” held in Paris on 8 December 2015.

We have to admit that what this happened at least from the 9/11 tragedy onwards was predicted by the Iranian Resistance long time ago.

They had shown us the solution, in early 90s, when the term “Islamic fundamentalism” was not even familiar to many people.

They declared – the PMOI [The People’s Mojahedin Organization of Iran] – they declared the Islamic fundamentalism as the new global threat.

My distinguished friend Mohammad Mohaddessin, wrote a book under this title, more than 20 years ago; a book that I strongly recommend, really, because many of his insights are still valid today. But the western analysts were saying it was an exaggeration. Unfortunately, the biter reality of 9/11 proved that Mohammad Mohaddessin and the PMOI were right.

But again, the United States and Europe took a wrong path and instead of focusing on the heart of this evil phenomenon, which is the regime in Tehran, they deviated their attention onto other problems and objectives.

Twelve years ago, Mrs. Rajavi warned that the threat of the mullahs interference in Iraq is many times more dangerous that their nuclear bomb. But there was no one to listen. We have opened, naively, Iraq’s gates to Iranian influence and control.

Despite many warning by the PMOI, we closed our eyes on the invasion of Iraq by the Iranian regime. This broad regime, hundreds of kilometers closer to Israel, and the Mediterranean had increased its influence in Lebanon and in Syria. Had we got the regime’s hands in Iraq at the time, we wouldn’t have Daesh today, nor would we have Assad or Hezbollah in Syria.

Very recently, hundreds of thousands of Iranians have crossed the Iraqi borders in a large operation of invasion organized by the Quds Force and led by General Soleimani.

In spite of all that, we see high representatives Federica Mogherini or Secretary John Kerry or many ministers of Western governments rush to Tehran to appear in photographs shaking hands and smiling to the Iranian authorities.

In Spanish we have a saying that says in English “there is no worse blindness as that of those who do not want to see”. And this is what is happening. What Senator Lieberman said to us some minutes ago, was so clear, so convincing, so… it was so impossible to deny. But I’m sure if he has a conversation on this with President Obama or Secretary Kerry, a conversation that he can’t obviously have, I’m sure they would not listen. Because in Europe we have the same problem. Governments, do not listen. The PMOI has a large support in parliamentarians. And also in local authorities as well. But governments do not listen. This is something we must change and perhaps you can guide us in how to make governments listen.

Today, we must put an end to this wrong policy. Anything that would bolster Iranian terrorism, be it Shiites or Sunnis, anything that prolongs the life of Assad will reinforce Daesh.

Nobody has paid the price that the PMOI, a truly democratic movement, and President Rajavi have paid in fighting against Islamic fundamentalism. No one is so much familiar with the geography and history of the people of these regions, and with Sunnis and with Shiites Muslims. They have been fighting against religious dictatorship for 37 years. So, if we do not listen to their call today after all these tragedies, history will not forgive us.