Until June 20th, 2023, the headquarters of the Mujahedin-e Khalq called Ashraf 3 was a center for conspiracies and threats against Iran. For about a decade, from a NATO country in the European territory, the MEK have been targeting the Iranians’ mental and physical security using the remote isolated camp with high speed and unlimited Internet offered to them by the Albanian government.
On June 20th, 2023, the tide turned. The Special Anti-Corruption Structure (SPAK) tasked with investigating corruption and organized crime at the highest levels of government and society in Albania entered Ashraf 3 for the first time after the MEK’s relocation in its territory. The Albanian state has been given a lot of testimonies and documents based on MEK’s activities out of this headquarters which threaten the Albanian national security. The case had been discussed in the Albanian national security council headed by the President.
However, the Albanian Police forces were surprised when they were encountered with the MEK’s violent confrontation with the legal act taken by the police. The MEK’s crowd acted in harmony and unity to create a human shield against police forces in order to prevent them from entering certain sections of the camp and some other members used the opportunity to burn the documents.
The MEK claims that the Police have broken their computers. They should be asked what the use of broken computers is for the Police? The police tried their best to prevent the destruction of the computers by the Mujahedin because they were looking for evidence to prove the crimes. The MEK’s reaction proved their dishonesty.
The clash in Ashraf 3 turned it to a center of conspiracies against Albania while it was vise versa until before June 20th. The MEK has launched all its capacities for propaganda, political and legal actions against the Albanian government. Albania has simply turned in to the MEK’s most challenging project.
What has taken place in Albania was previously predicted in the letter of Nejat NGO’s CEO, Ebrahim Khodabandeh to the Albanian president Bajram Begaj: from rallies in front of Albanian embassies in different countries to pushing fake organizations and former politicians to show off for the Albanian government as if the MEK is supported by the entire world and Albania is isolated.
A look at the MEK’s background indicates that the MEK has always been a problem for hosting countries, but the group has always tried to relate its own problematic nature to the Iranian government’s intervention. In Britain, the charity of the MEK called Iran Aid was revealed to be a front organization for financial fraud, money laundering and economic crimes. The offices of Iran Aid were investigated by the British government; the documents were revealed in the media. The Cult of Rajavi claimed that it was a plot made by Iranian regime.
The same tactic was performed by the MEK when it was listed as a terrorist organization by the US, Britian and EU. The group claimed that listing was done due to collusions between Iran and the West. This was while Western intelligence services had found the MEK as a threat to their national security.
The MEK also reacted the same way when its team houses in Koln, Germany, were investigated by German government and the documents on MEK’s fraud in German social service were discovered. The group immediately sent the two main accused women to its then headquarters in Iraq.
When in June 2003, the group’s headquarters in the suburb of Paris was raided by the French Police, under the charges of money laundering, financial fraud, intelligence laundering and operating terror acts, the group launched organized self-immolation operations by its brainwashed members to distract attentions from the main issue.
In Iraq, the MEK obstructed the enforcement of the law by Iraqi security forces twice. The group’s Camp Ashraf was also a safe place for ISIS and Baath forces. The clashes between the MEK and Iraqi forces ended with death and injury of many Mujaheds.
The last incident of this series took place on June 20th. The group has a long record on violating the rule of law including human smuggling and siding with mafia. The reports had been previously published in Albanian media.
In all the above-mentioned cases, the group threatened the national security of hosting countries but it claims to be the target of Iran’s propaganda. It wants to distract attention from the main issue: The national security of the hosting county was endangered.
Unfortunately, the MEK has been successful to force the host countries to give up on their right to sovereignty. There are two reasons: First, these countries were not willing to use time, energy and resources to get rid of the MEK, Second, they seem to be under pressure for not to be known as supporters of the Iranian government.
Today, the conditions have dramatically turned against the MEK. Based on previous experiences such conditions do not seem to be stable. As usual, the MEK claims that it is a plot made by the Islamic Republic. However, there is no evidence to prove the group’s claims. It is a sensitive situation that requires the all-round vigilance of the Albanian statesmen. They should not fall short against the bullying of the MEK and consider the national interests as their priority and do not give up the game.