The eighth session of the trial of commanders of the Mujahedin-e Khalq (MEK) and the group as an entity was held in Tehran. The court was chaired by Judge Dehghani in the 11th branch of the criminal court of Tehran province on Tuesday, January 30th. The court was held in two parts in the morning and in the afternoon.
Vaziri, the prosecutor’s representative read the indictments of the 90th to 105th defendants who include: Morteza Fakhar, Assadollah Faqih Dezfuli, Iraj Feiz, Parviz Karimian, Ahmad Golpaygani, Farid Mahootchi, Mehdi Madadi, Mahmood Ahmadi, Javad Ahmadi, Esmail Mortezai, Mahmood Moayeri, Roghayeh Malek Mohammadi, Hassan Nezamolmolki, Nasrin Nazari Aliabadi, Ali Hadizadeh, Allahkaram Hooshangi.
Accusations of the MEK as an entity
15 charges were read aloud to accuse the Mujahedin Khalq organization as an entity. According to the court the MEK has been the instigator of a large number of crimes that has led to intimidation, insecurity, injury and death of civilians.
The crimes have been committed by the MEK’s agents to disrupt national security of Iranians from 1979 until now inside Iran, from Iraq, France and Albania.
Instigating intelligence cooperation in organized espionage with the foreign and hostile government of the Iraqi Baath regime in order to damage national security, especially during the 8 years of war imposed by former Iraqi dictator on Iran.
According to the court, numerous organized kidnappings combined with torture, physical and mental harassment were instigated by the MEK as an entity. They include intentional destruction, setting fire on people’s property, public property, theft of public property, armed robbery of public and private properties and organized terrorist acts leading to assault and intentional killing of people, airplane hijacking, propaganda activity and publication of lies and financing of terrorism.
Maryam and Massoud Rajavi’s accusations
The accusations of Massoud and Maryam Rajavi as the second and third defendants of the trial were also read aloud for the audience. The leadership, command, planning, design, facilitating and direction of the extensive and criminal actions of the organized and coherent group, MEK.
The Rajavis’ charges include: Fighting through cooperation with the hostile foreign government (Baath regime of Iraq), commanding and participating in military-terrorist operations known as Aftab, Chelcheragh, Forough Javidan, Marwarid, cross border operations known as patrolling and clearing the way for the lives of people, intimidating them and creating insecurity in Iran, collusion and espionage against the internal and external security of the country and against people’s lives and property, including terrorist operations and organized actions for street riots…Massoud Rajavi is accused of participation in the hijacking of Boeing 707 on August 6, 1981.
101 other defendants of the court
Then the accusations of 101 accused members and commanders of the MEK were read aloud in detail. The crimes they have committed briefly include murder, robbery, torture, acts of terror, inciting riots and creating insecurity. Separate accusations were presented for Mehdi Abrishamchi, Mehdi Baraee, Farhad Olfat, Mahmood Fakharzadeh, Alireza Bahrami.
The reasons for persecution of the group and its commanders
Some of the reasons are the followings: Complaints of private complainants whose names were read in the court, reports of general and special justice officials (21 reports) focusing on the crimes committed by the MEK and its agents, confessions of the accused ones in speeches, and public and private meetings of MEK, claiming the responsibility of the crimes by the MEK, statements of other arrested defendants regarding the group and its commanders, the testimonies of the witnesses who were present at the scene of the terrorist attacks, testimonies of former members of the group…
Besides, based on the words of the representative of the prosecutor, the MEK and 104 of its commanders are now brought to justice because they started an illegitimate armed struggle against a legally established government. They killed 17 thousand of Iranian people, including children and women, and several of the authorities of the Islamic Republic of Iran including President Rajai and his prime minister Bahonar. Saddam Hussein sponsored the MEK financially and logistically to form its private army which was called National Liberation Army by the group.
Why the MEK is considered a terrorist group?
The prosecutor’s representative said, “Terrorist acts are realized when they are intentional and related to an individual or collective action and have the goal of severely disrupting public order by creating terror, which is realized in the context of the following crimes: Deliberate damage to the life and dignity of people, extortion, theft, torture and brutal acts, violence leading to death, amputation or permanent disability, kidnapping or imprisoning people, as well as hijacking a plane, stealing a ship or any other means of transportation, money laundering. , disabling as well as computer crimes, violation of freedom of movement, manufacturing, selling, storing, transporting or maintaining war machines, lethal and explosive weapons, any type of crime using bombs, grenades, rockets, automatic weapons, letter or explosive package under individual or collective action to cause serious disturbance of public order through terror. Financing terror acts by providing, collecting, or managing assets, cash, or providing recommendations for this purpose with the intent of acquiring these assets and cash are regarded as works of terrorist groups. All assets or a part of it are used in order to commit terrorist acts.”
According to Vaziri, significant number of armed actions of the MEK, such as mortar attacks in residential areas, an attack on the Faculty of Literature in Ahvaz, and bombing a bus in Shiraz, in public places, places of education and training of young people for launching terror acts in residential areas of civilians, as well as public vehicles that has been carried out by the group has seriously disrupted the public order, it has caused intimidation and terror and the deliberate killing of ordinary citizens of the society. Therefore, these few cases will be enough to prove the terrorist nature of the Mujahedin-e Khalq organization and its commanders.