International Human Rights Day, December 10, should be a moment of pride for human society, but for many oppressed individuals and groups, this day is just another reminder of the injustices they suffer every day. For an organization like Mujahedin-e Khalq (MEK), which claims to fight for freedom and justice, the irony is bitter: they themselves are the violators of the rights of their members, keeping them in solitary confinement and denying them the most basic freedoms.
The True Face of Oppression
Inside the MEK camps, beyond the facade of the rhetoric of fighting tyranny, there is a dark reality. The organization’s members face an internal regime that violates every principle of human rights. They are kept in total isolation, deprived of contact with the outside world and, most importantly, with their families. In the name of discipline and dedication to the cause, these people are treated as property of the organization, not as human beings.
What is the difference between an authoritarian regime and an organization that imprisons the minds and bodies of its members? The answer is simple: none. The MEK, which claims to fight oppression, is itself a tool of oppression for those who constitute the flesh and blood of its organization.
Blatant Rights Violations
1. Total Isolation:
The MEK camps operate as open prisons. No member is allowed to leave without the approval of the leaders. This is a flagrant violation of the right to movement and self-determination, a right guaranteed by the Universal Declaration of Human Rights.
2. Indoctrination and Mind Control:
Members are subjected to a continuous process of indoctrination, where any critical thought is suppressed and replaced with blind obedience to the organization’s leaders. This is a form of mind control that violates the right to free thought.
3. Denial of Family Life:
One of the cruelest violent tactics of the MEK is the separation of members from their families. Numerous reports testify to parents not seeing their children for years and people being forced to deny family ties for the sake of the organization. This is a blatant violation of the right to family and human relations.
4. Inhuman Treatment and Fear:
Those who dare to criticize or demand their removal face threats, psychological pressure and, in some cases, physical violence. This is the height of hypocrisy for an organization that claims to fight for rights and freedoms.
A Call for Intervention
Organizations like the MEK should have no place in a world that claims to support human rights. Beyond their political rhetoric, they are systems that foster isolation and violence against their own members. The international community must stop turning a blind eye to these violations. If the world truly stands for human rights, it must intervene and help those who are held hostage by these organizations.
December 10 cannot be an international day unless every individual is free and their rights are guaranteed. The MEK are living proof of hypocrisy and rights violations, condemning hundreds of people to isolation and loss of their identity. This day should be a call for justice and an end to violations, wherever they occur. Silence in the face of these injustices is complicity with oppression.
Violence in the MEK Camps
These acts of violence are not random; they are structured and orchestrated to maintain control over members.
1. Physical Violence as a Means of Intimidation
Reports from former members point to numerous cases where individuals have been brutally beaten by camp guards or other members on the orders of the leaders. This violence is used as punishment for those who try to leave the organization, criticize the leaders, or do not blindly follow orders. Cases include beatings to the point of severe injuries and prolonged isolation in inhumane conditions.
2. Psychological Violence and Emotional Torture
In addition to physical violence, members are subjected to ongoing psychological violence. They are forced to participate in “self-criticism sessions,” where they are forced to admit fabricated guilt and face public humiliation. This is a form of torture that aims to break them spiritually and make them obedient to the leaders. Feelings of guilt and fear permeate the daily lives of these people, leaving them without hope for the future.
3. Denial of Medical Treatment
Physical and psychological violence is often accompanied by the denial of medical treatment for the injured. Members who face health problems as a result of the violence are left without medical assistance or treated minimally, as an additional form of punishment.
Aldo Sulollari, Media manager of Nejat Society Albania
