Mojahedin Khalq outraged at Iraq’s trial decision

A front man for the MKO has protested against Iraq’s decision to bring to trial the leaders of the terrorist group, calling it ‘illegal’.
Alireza Jafarzadeh, a top member of the Mujahedin Khalq Organization, appeared on the Fox news TV channel after the Iraqi government promised prosecution for certain leaders of the group.
Jafarzadeh said Baghdad made the decision as it was under pressure from the government in Tehran.
In a Press TV program aired on Tuesday, Iraq’s National security Advisor, Muwaffaq al-Rubaie said the members of the MKO who had committed crimes against Iraqi civilians had to stand trial in Iraqi courts.
“Iran is prepared to provide legal evidence against these people and is prepared for their trial in Iraq by the Iraqi judicial system,” the Iraqi official said.
“We are going to do this in a humane way. We are going to stick and adhere to all international laws and regulations,” he said, adding that Iran was prepared to respect the court order on the MKO members.
The Iraqi government has vowed to expel the members of the group to their country Iran or send them to a third country, maintaining ‘staying in Iraq is not an option for them’.
Iran has long called for the expulsion of MKO members from their headquarters and training center, Camp Ashraf, in Iraq.
Tehran says the members of the group who have not participated in the organization’s terrorist activities are allowed to return home but others have to stand trial in Iran or outside the country.
Several members of the group have now defected from the organization and returned to Iran.
The MKO, blacklisted as a terrorist organization by many international entities and countries including the US, is responsible for numerous acts of violence against Iranian civilians and government officials as well as Iraqi people at the time of former dictator Saddam Hussein.