Dr.Mahmoud worked for Mujahedin’s diplomatic service in Italy and he is a doctor now:
– When for the first time did you contact with the organization?
– In 1980, while I was studying medicine in AncÔne, Italy. Therefore, I joined the Iranian youth supporting Islamic Revolution against Shah. I established some relations with Mujahedin Khalq since they were the only movement making news in Iran’s political scene.
– Where was their center?
– They had an office near the Medicine University “Posa Tora” and had named themselves “Muslim Students Society”.
– Haw many people were working there?
– There were only two permanent members. That was only a base to recruit forces and send them immediately to Rome or Iraq in accordance with the organizations need.
– How did you start to work for the MKO?
– At first I sold Mujahedin’s publications to Iranians who lived in AncÔne . Then they took the collected money. Since I could speak Italian fluently, they sent me to diplomatic committee in Rome, in 1984. We were settled in “Nomentania” which was not far from Iranian and Libyan embassies. I was obliged to give up my studies and dedicate myself to my mission. Our offices were in a small two floor building where we had twelve rooms, two for diplomatic committee, two for the committee responsible for distributing the publication , two for the manager and two for the service responsible for relations with Iranian students all over Italy. At night, we slept in an apartment which was named”relaxation base”.
– Did you receive any wage for your work?
– No. but if we became permanent, all our equipments including clothes would be met by the organization.
– How was the work in diplomatic committee?
– We were three people. My mission included arranging relations between the organization and Italian politic men in order to achieve their support for our own policies.
– Where did the orders come from?
– I received them from Paris through telephone, of course not from Masud’s own mouth but from a woman called "Elahe".
– In Rome, didn’t you have a responsible to organize your activities?
– No, we shouldn’t talk together about our own duties.
– What did they want you to do?
– First I had to find the most influential person in the party, then I determined different political movements. I sent the information to Paris and there they told me among these people which ones have the priority to be contacted.This way, we collected more than 700 signatures of ministers, ministers deputies etc.. .
– Give me the names.
Luigi Ciriaco De Mita one of the Democratic Christians, Bettino Craxi, general secretary of Social Democratic Party and former prime minister , Claudio Martelli, Craxi’s assistant , Nicollazi member of Social Democratic Party, Alessandro Natta of Communist Party, Enrico Berlinger Chief of Rome fraction of Communist Party, Flaminio Piccoli director of Christian Democratic Party, Emanuele Villante of Communist Party, Achille Occhetto Secretary of Communist party, Giacomo Mancini Socialist leader. I contacted all these people personally and convinced them to sign the petitions.
– How could you convince them?
– I emphasized that Mujahedin are working for peace. Besides I told each party what it was interested in. For Communists, we were seeking social justice. In Democrat Christians’ view we were supporter of Democracy. In Italy, we obtained a status where all politic men knew Mujahedin just as dissident movement against regime in Iran.
– Note some of the tactics you used to obtain these supports.
– For example, to obtain the support of Communist Party, we invited ourselves to the annual congress and tried to get a time for speech, so we used the situation and approached the most important participants.
Then with their support we could get the representatives’ rooms and contact parliament members. We acted in the same way in Senate.
– Did you use any other methods?
– We also distributed our journal "Iran Liberation", this journal included instructions for sending donations.
– What did you do with the collected sums?
– The sums were given to the financial committee of the organization in Italy. After that I didn’t have the right to know.
– How was your relation with your high ranking officials?
– Strangulating and even immoral. Every night, after saying prayers, we had to write our self – criticizing texts and give it to our responsible but he prevented us from reading books and even thinking our own thoughts.
– Why did you leave Mujahedin?
– For political reasons. Gradually, I understood that neither they defend democracy nor freedom, nor national independence. Besides I didn’t feel comfortable due to the money they gave us. We didn’t know where it came from. They claimed that they receive the money from European civilians or parties, but we knew they lied and they had special relations with Iraq. They also had some relations with terrorist organizations.
– Can you state them in details?
– In Ancône, I had married a girl who was a medicine student too. She worked in News Committee of MEK, in Rome. She was responsible for searching the press and her principal duty was seeking information on terrorism: information on Red Brigades and members of IRN in Ireland and Lebanon and etc.
– This does not prove the organization link to terrorism.
– Why do you think we did that? To fill the papers? Mujahedin got the information of the activities of these movements because of political objectives.
– Did you have other reasons for your tendency to defect from Mujahedin?
– My wife and I were worried about our security. I had realized that the MKO had called medicine students to Iraq in order to treat the allegedly injured members in the hospital. In fact, they send them to the front to fight while Iran and Iraq were fighting each other.
– Do you have any evidence for what you say?
– The students were killed. I think a boy named Mehdi was killed in such away after our departure. I didn’t know his last name but he was from Shiraz. Another person named Mehdi Ahmad Far who worked with me in diplomatic committee was killed in war, in 1987. Some individuals who saw they have been deceived, tried to return to Italy. They asked for their passport which was seized by the organization. In response, they were beaten or thrown in to the prison and then given up to Iraq Intelligence Service. They were taken to Turkey later and left without passport and money. Mujahedin even canceled their residential permission in Italy.
– I want clear names, prove or witnesses.
– This is what everybody says.
– Why did they give their passport and money to MKO?
– It was systematic. When one entered the organization, gave his passport and all his money. The passports were used to transfer other members.
– Did it happen to you and your wife?
– Yes, but when we insisted, the organization ended with returning our passports to us. However we didn’t have the right to leave the Camp, we escaped at night, in 1986.
– Why did they return your passports?
– Without doubt because we were two, so we were more powerful. Besides I worked for diplomatic committee. I had relations with influential politic men in Italy. Do you still have question?
– Just the last point. Have you ever visited Masud or Maryam Rajavi?
– No, never.