Mrs. Mai Sato, special reporter on human rights in Iran
While congratulating your selection as the special rapporteur on human rights in Iran and wishing you success, we are a group of members separated from the Mujahedin-e Khalq (MEK) who were members of the organization; some of us were members of the organization for more than three decades. Regarding your efforts in the field of truth-finding and follow-up of human rights deficiencies, we found it necessary to inform your Excellency of our concerns, which are based on our first-hand experiences of inside the MEK.
1- We consider it necessary to inform you about the political goals of the MEK in the field of human rights. During the term of Mr. Javaid Rehman, the leaders of the organization tried to serve their own goals by presenting false reports so they harmed his efforts and credibility in truth-finding about human rights
2- Based on our personal experiences and first-hand observations, we consider the MEK as a completely undemocratic movement with a cult-like structure. We believe that any cooperation with this organization cannot be defensible even by claiming that part of the prisoners who belong to them. Because many of us, like many other former members of the MEK have been executed or tortured by the group itself.
3-Actions for truth finding on human rights in Iran should not be led through the channel of cooperation with the MEK which is a formerly terrorist designated entity with a violent background. In her recent speech before the former reporter, Maryam Rajavi, the MEK leader said, “We advocate for a democratic republic founded on the separation of religion and state, with an independent judiciary adhering to principles such as the presumption of innocence, the right to defense, the right to a public trial, the complete independence of judges.”
This claim is nothing but a lie. As former members of the MEK, we are victims of torture and imprisonment in the religious extremist cult of Rajavi. In the MEK, we were sentenced to torture, imprisonment and death without the right to defense, the right to a public trial. Event after leaving the MEK, a number of MEK defectors have faced life threats by the side of the MEK simply because of the publication of their testimonies on the facts from inside the MEK.
Mrs. Sato
We find it necessary to briefly mention some serious and documented crimes of the MEK and its leadership, which proves that the organization is not democratic and does not believe in the principles of freedom.
The MEK has a completely cult-like and repressive structure. They brainwash members through long meetings called Ideological Revolution, coercing them to worship Massoud and Maryam Rajavi. They have forced couple members to divorce. Celibacy is mandatory in the MEK. Gender segregation of is strictly observed by the leaders. In their manipulative system, they force members to write reports about their most inner thoughts or dreams and sexual dreams in order to read the reports before their peers. Peers should attack each other in the meetings, including the meetings of Masoud and Maryam. They are due to verbally attack, spit in the face and insult and accuse the person who is tried in the meeting, and in some cases they physically assault the one who is accused for not being ideological enough.
4-Separation of more that 800 children from their parents who were in the MEK camps in Iraq during the 1990s and smuggling them to some Western countries without the inner satisfaction of them and their parents. This separation left children with severe emotional blows and traumas. Several of these children were then recruited as child soldiers by the MEK. Some of them participated in military operations during the MEK’s presence in Iraq and were killed.
5- Imprisonment, physical, mental and psychological torture of dissident members inside the MEK, under baseless accusations. Launching psychological warfare and character assassination against defectors of the MEK. Taking out women’s wombs without any medical reason to justify it. Disconnection of members’ communication with their families. Lack of freedom of speech. Deprivation of access to the outside world and of free use of the Internet and other media communication facilities.
We are ready to share our experiences with you in person or online and to answer your questions carefully and honestly. In the end, while wishing you success in your valuable and independent efforts for human rights, we reiterate our concern.
With respect, a group of former members of the MEK from Khuzestan, Iran