Sweetness of Freedom
MKO former members
It is not something strange if you want to return to your country where you were born and grown up.
Nothing is more beautiful than your mother land. A former member, of Mujahedin-e-Khalq , an Iranian dissident group, has repatriated. Please notice the report of his repatriation:
About 3000 members of MEK are still abroad.
Some of the defectors of MEK are trying to convince the others to return home and enjoy the granted public amnesty. The cries of wailing families who have been expecting such a day, their anxiety will end in a few minutes that last as years. The eyes of the relatives show how they have been waiting for their beloved ones for twenty-nine years now without having any news of him. And this expatriation was not for education or building a future.
Sedige Yousei, Mohammad’s sister, the MEK defectors:
We haven’t had any news of him for 28 years until by a phone call, we found out he was released 40 days ago. His return is based on his honest internal feelings and emotions for his country.
Because Mohammadi had lived far from his family for years, he has lost many things.
Mohammad Yousefi (the former member of MEK):
I got shocked after I found out the real nature of the MEK but returning to the country was impossible. It seemed that they possessed the members; all members were forced to submit daily reports to their officials. Once I committed suicide, I committed phlebotomy .
There are too many people like Mohammad in the MEK. The number mounts to 3200. Since the foundation of Nejat Association which is in charge of helping the repatriation of MEK captives, a lot of them have succeeded to return home after the Iranian government declared the amnesty for those who hadn’t committed assassination and also they even granted amnesty to those who don’t have any private appellant.
Arash Sametipour:
We have tried to release the MEK member since 2003. The number of the current captives is 3200 who have 3200 mothers who are grieving due to their children. I’d say there are a lot of families who suffer the separation of their beloved children.
Esmat lost his father, a tailor working in his shop, in a terrorist operation. Edalat Association was founded to air the voices of hers and the ones similar to her, to the world saying that terrorism will end up some day.
Esmat Sepehri:
We don’t want to revenge and we don’t want the other countries to pay the price we paid by the blood of our dear ones. We want to present a solution to the countries that were harmed by terrorism. We want to fight terrorism.
More than 500 defectors have repatriated and they are now living a normal life. When the man is forbidden of any contact, he feels lonesome, defeated and terrified.
But the love for country is routed in the hearts.Download Nejat Society on MBC
Mrs. Sho’le Shadram, former member of MKO, who is now residing is Sweden, had an interview with Nejat Society during her trip to Iran. The following is an extract of her speech at Tehran branch of Nejat Society:
I am Sho’le Shadram. I was born in 1966 in Lahijan, Gilan. In 1985, when I wanted to join MKO I went to Turkey from where I was sent to Iraq. When I fled Iran, I was in age of 17 and I was a MKO supporter. After I arrived in Iraq, Camp Ashraf, gradually I began to doubt what the organization was saying. I couldn’t trust them. When I was in Iran I was very sympathic and serious supporter of MKO but when I got in to a close relationship with them, I felt that they have another face which never looks like what they say.
The peak of the internal contradiction was that my first marriage was organizational [dictated by the organization] and my first husband was killed in the group’s attack to Iran [Eternal Light Operation]. My second marriage was also organizational which ended to the mandatory divorce dictated after the ideological revolution!
How do the cult leaders allow themselves to enter the individuals’ private personal space and manipulate them by psychological methods? I didn’t agree the divorce and marriage of Maryam Rajavi (the basic contradiction that everyone has question on but no one dares to express)
They wanted to convince me and the others to accept it.Under their hysteric peer pressure we had no way except accepting the controversial divorce and marriage of Maryam Azdanlou[Rajavi].
Basically I didn’t believe in going to Iraq and cooperating with Saddam Hussein, considering it treason against Iran and Iranians (this was the second basic contradiction, contrary to the principals) but the ruling atmosphere was so controlling that I didn’t have the courage to express my idea. No one had the courage to even think about defection because they had made it a taboo: the highest treason. I never accepted a responsibility so I was all the time reproached. I was ready to suffer the worst condition to find a possibility to leave the camp and never get back.
In 1990, when I was in Camp Ashraf I stated my defection from MKO, so I was immediately taken to the group’s prison in Debes in Northern Iraq. After a year, they sent me to the refugee camp in Romadi where the condition was very bad but of-course better than that of MKO. Once I escaped from the camp to go to Jordan but the Jordanian police arrested me and handed me to Iraq. The news of my escape was published, so the organization became obliged to send me to another country. First they transferred me to Baghdad and then in 1991 Turkey where I went to the UN’s High Commission of Refugees. After two and a half years of living in refugee camp in Turkey, I was granted refugee status by Sweden where I got married and became the mother of three children.
As soon as I got to Sweden, the MKO agents came to me continuously asking me to do fundraising activities in the streets. I resisted firmly and didn’t obey them. Finally, they stopped bothering me.
For along time, after my residence in Sweden, I had terrible nightmares. I had the feeling that I was still captured in the organization. I wondered how I was deceived by the cult and how I could waist my life in a cult. At nights I had nightmares of Ashraf Camp, I shouted in sleep. A few years passed and I could find a normal status.
In Sweden there was a group that helped the people who had gone to the war and had mental problems. They also helped the defectors of MKO psychologically to return them to the society. They had experts who aided the survivors of the cult. In Sweden, I had financial problem, I was homesick and I had problem with the language but I was never willing to have the least contact with MKO.
After some time, I contacted my family who were unaware of my condition for years. I wanted to go to Iran to visit them. I got married. I got three kids and I came to Iran to make my disagreement with MKO concrete. For the time being, I have no concern except my concern for those who are still captive of Camp Ashraf and I know them.
I appreciate the efforts of Nejat Society that tries to link the captured ones of the cult of Rajavi with their families in Iran. I hope that the entire captives of Camp Ashraf and Auver Sur d’Oise can soon get back to their families and society.
Dear Mr. Nouri Al Maleki,
We the undersigned have arrived in Europe over the past few weeks as refugees from .
We are survivors of the Rajavi cult (aka Mojahedin-e Khalq) which for many years was part of Saddam Hussein’s repressive apparatus.
As you are aware we had the chance of taking refuge from the Rajavi dictatorship with the American army when they established a TIPF next to Camp Ashraf in Diyali province.
Recently we were freed from there and have managed to reach the European Union. Many others decided to voluntarily repatriate to where they have re-joined their families. Others have decided to go to other countries like .
The situation of Camp Ashraf is not unknown to you. We know that many of our friends still trapped there would like to leave, but now do not have the opportunity that we had, now that TIPF is closed.
As part of the Iraqi government’s drive to remove the MKO from Iraqi territory, we believe it is vitally important to re-create a place similar to the American camp so that those people who no longer want to be terrorists can escape the MKO camp.
The UNHCR has stated that it cannot begin to deal with these people until they stop being a paramilitary group. It is important to give individuals that very chance by providing them an escape route.
We implore you to create another camp next to Camp Ashraf for people to go to. Once they see a glimmer of hope we are sure many, many will take the opportunity to leave the MKO and from there leave itself.
We further implore you to open the actual gates of Camp Ashraf and allow families in to have access to their loved ones. Let Rajavi’s victims see that their friends and families are there to help them.
We are ready to help in any way needed, including returning to help run the new facility.
Paris, October, 2008
Letter of Mr. Hamid Siah Mansouri to the SFF
Mr. Hamid Siah Mansouri is a former member of the Mojahedin-e Khalq Organization (MKO) who has managed to escape from the Ashraf Camp which is the base of the MKO terrorist cult in Iraq. He could eventually reach to France after waiting for a long period.
During his presence in Baghdad he gave a letter (both in Farsi and in English) to the SFF which appears below:
——–
Who am I?
Name: Hamid Siah Mansouri
Date of birth: 26/6/1956
Place of birth: Varamin /Tehran /Iran
Father’s name: Khodadad
Mother’s name: Narenj
I left Tehran for India in June 1979 with legal passport via Tehran airport with the intention of promoting my education further. I was graduated from Jamia University in 1984, in M. A. Political Sc. Then I left India for Canada with a fake passport to find a job and also to continue my educations. I introduced myself to Canadian immigration officials as an Iranian Regime defected from the Islamic Republic. So, after 3 months I was accepted as a political refugee. I was occupied in Toronto city. I did international law in Toronto University. During studying, I established a company which gave flyer-distributing service.
Acquaintance and cooperation with the PMOI
In 1966, I met an Iranian man called Hamid who introduced himself as a supporter of the "National Council of Resistance of Iran". He invited me to found a society called the "Iranian Professionals Society" in Canada. I accepted to make such an organization. On the eve of the year 1988, I was acquainted to the Mojahedin Khalq Organization (MKO, MEK, and PMOI) by a member called Reza Khaki who asked me to cooperate with organization. Then I gave in to the MKO after frequent persistence to join their armed wing called "National Liberation Army of Iran" (NLA) based in Iraq on a three-month mutual agreement. Actually, I myself intended to realize truths too.
Dispatch to Iraq under Saddam’s rule
During 3 months that I joined to the MKO flank under Saddam’s rule, I had found their ominous aims under the cover of the creation of the "ideal state or classless theistic state" as well as the forged slogan of peace and democracy which made optimistic viewers amazed. In reality, they took steps into the path of absolute dictatorship.
As a matter of fact, I faced a terrorist cult which had been found on the basis of the "force and hypocrisy", tried to attract the public opinion and politicians in the west with sham moderate facet and shape.
After 3 months, I referred to the related officials to determine legal status of my return to Canada. Incredibly, I found out that this organization with the collaboration of Iraqi Govt. transferred me to Iraq illegally. This was while they were claiming law and discipline in their agenda and primary targets and principles. Meanwhile I observed my passport in the hand of the MKO officials without entry stamp to the country of Iraq.
Kurdish massacre in Morvarid clashes
The MKO officials vowed me to dispose legal conditions of my return to Canada. However, in practice, they never accomplished their pledges with lure, decoy, and killing time. We encountered Persian Gulf dilemma and the war. Then by giving the false information that the forces of the Iranian regime have invaded and seized our bases, they compelled me and other opponents to participate in the Morvarid clashes with the Kurds. Unfortunately however during the war, we found out that we are fighting against the Kurdish people. Therefore, I refused to prolong with the oppressed Kurdish people’s massacre. Nevertheless, the MKO officials made me and other opponents fight against immaculate Kurdish people using threats and force. Finally, after the first Persian Gulf War, I requested them to allow me to go back to Canada, but they threatened me and told me that I either stay with them or they would hand me over to the Iraqi security forces. As a result, I could be convicted for the long term of eight years in jail due to illegal entrance to the Iraqi territory. Consequently, the MKO took me as a hostage and prisoner for long years using threats and psychological and physical tortures in the horrible prison of Camp Ashraf.
A glimpse at the MKO’S internal relations
I briefly try to glance at the crimes of Rajavi’s cult and illicit activities at the level of intra-organization relations during the first and second Persian Gulf War:
Massoud Rajavi and his wife Maryam Rajavi, the self-appointed ringleaders of the MKO intend to balk responsibility in relation to the existed fatal political and ideological fiascoes and impasses. Because of wide flexibilities either political or ideological of the 1980s, and owing to the ideological nature, which means that, the idea of violence implementation is the only key solution of any problem, the organization has reached to a dead end. So they chose the mock and deviant way that, the criminal and immoral effects of their way would bother the human beings soul. Moreover, the next generations will be embarrassed regarding such a human catastrophe and calamity.
Undoubtedly, "ideological divorce" was the only, final deceitful and repressed tool to justify the end that ringleaders of this cult used to survive politically. Therefore, they perpetrated any criminal action to achieve this anti human and devious invention.
In fact, they compelled the victims to join this trend regardless of their internal tendencies by threat, infliction, and the "brainwash", so that married men had to divorce their wives then, these divorced women obligated to marry with Massoud Rajavi. Even, unmarried men and women were under this anti human and deviated trend, so they had to divorce whatever was in their mind and brain regarding prospect wife, dreams, wishes, family, father, mother and etc. The most painful reality was that every victim had to prove and pretext his harmony and blessing with such inhuman and wicked conditions in a vast rally held in the presence of MKO torturers and inquisitors and from time to time with the presence of Massoud and Maryam Rajavi. In case, some unfortunate sufferer accused to be indifferent or against this persecuting process, he or she could severely be tortured psychologically and physically. However, at the end, the victim had to be changed and accepted their ideology or his disappearance and unknown destiny could be expected in perspective.
The irrefutable crime of the MKO was to make everyone get training several weapons with the intention to achieve terrorist operations in the cities of Iran. The priority was given to the opponents, because Rajavi intended to inflict two marks with one bullet (to kill two birds by one stone). So that Rajavi might get rid of his opponents and attain his terrorist aims too.
Which way will I opt for the future?
One of the incontestable crimes of this vicious bandit (Massoud Rajavi) is that, he confiscated personal identity, and then he embezzled and grabbed identification cards (identity criteria) and bank credit cards (financial abuse) of his victims. I have also been one of these victims, so I am determined to litigate him based on international laws at the first possible opportunity in an accessible free country.
Now, I survived to divulge the truths, so that, others can use my experience to live up.
Now, I must acknowledge that the existent destructive political and ideological deadlocks in the MKO make them commit suicide, but I decided to survive because of the following reasons. I survive to disclose precise truths afterward; the others can have the right and opportunity to a quite quiet life. Without any doubt, this is the legal and natural right of every individual to have the opportunity to an honorable life, which is full of love and feelings. Actually, the spirit of the laws cited "Universal Declaration of the Human Rights" based on saving human beings life as well as welfare and auspiciousness. As a result, it batters ideological and geographical borders, so that the principle of the defense, attaining "human rights" has always been its everlasting wishes and dreams.
Sometimes, when I remember Massoud Rajavi’s anti human speeches which took place in the day of the painful disaster of the "September 11 terrorist act", so that he exposed his "sectarianism thought" with this speech, "this was the reactionary Islam which did this function, so we would do much better because of our revolutionary Islam".
Whereas, his terrorist involvements during last 3 decades, as I was also victimized by his terrorist activities, this question abruptly comes to my mind. What is the basic difference between Rajavi and Ben Laden?
Based on this logic, if the laws of dangerous and complex phenomena can be distinguished, getting involved with them and dominating them is very easy. Therefore, because of this reason, Ben Laden is not a threat any more against human beings, owing to the fact that his sectarian thoughts and tactics have been discerned and exposed to the public opinion of the world. Nevertheless, Rajavi’s sect is a vague and unknown sect. Though, all cults based on the same thought, pattern and methodology, as the Mojahedin cult is subject to this logic and sectarian laws, it cannot be recognized as an innovative phenomenon. Nevertheless, the MKO cult pretexts a moderate complexion and specious to deceive the west public opinions and this cult could almost decoy some groups of the west public views. As a result, terrorist gang of this cult has widely expanded its activities in Europe under the cover of charitable activities, but they bait Iranian refugees to hunt these sinless refugees with intention to attain its sectarian targets. Terrorism and sectarianism does not recognize time or geographical and human borders, in any place at any time it can intend to protect its sectarian benefits with waiving the life of sinless and defenseless individuals via any inhuman way. e.g. terrible carnage and commit suicide and self-burning in U.S.A. and so on.
An overt example of such a bitter reality, which shocks wakeful consciences of humanity, it was an ideological self-burning command by Rajavi’s religious cult to the impeccable and deceived individuals of this cult in Paris that led in painful and ugly death of them. Therefore, any European national has the right to be sensitive and affected as concerned vis-à-vis his or her infelicitous and indistinct future. As a result, put a question to European liable politicians and free thinkers and ask them shouldn’t Rajavi’s cult be controlled by the West, instead being supported? Inevitably, the more thought the easier discover of the truth that Europe is under the terrorist threat and jeopardy. Therefore, now, it is the appropriate time for the Western public opinion, in particular the politicians, to take serious the raising trend of susceptible threat and peril of the "terrorism and sectarianism". As they should familiar themselves to the complicated and modern intriguing and trapping of the Rajavi’s sect, and pay attention to the violent nature of this sect, meanwhile not to be neglected by its mortal poison. According to an Iranian axiom, "the scorpion does not bite because of its vengeance; however, its expedient nature is so". Therefore, the wisdom, futurism, and secure life of the human beings bid the West to consider and heed the violent nature of this indistinguishable cult not to be entrapped, otherwise, the human beings will be faced and surprised by another "awful September eleven".
Unfortunately, sectarianism and the foundation of cult are not visibly counted a crime at the level of international laws. On the other hand, the outcomes of the cults’ functions and actions led in extremism, human tragedies and victimization of numerous innocents, as the cults with their most effective tool and weapon called "brain wash" reconstruct the human psyche and brain; consequently, make a vital change in human creation so that capture human soul, brainpower, mentality and wits. Hence, whereas the ruling spirit of morality over international laws including mentioned articles in "universal declaration of human rights", these actions together with "brain wash" are vs. human life, security and peace as well as criminal and they are ipso facto counted crime and offence. Henceforth, these above mentioned functions and deeds can per se be considered by the essence of the international principles as a perpetration and action of the "crime v humanity". Henceforward, these criminal actions can be indictable in the international and domestic courts. Unquestionably, consistent with above considerable truths, a historical and imperative necessity is felt by the society psyche security, in order that the West political elites should feel conscientiousness and not allow any hesitation and impediment to take necessary legal and political action to salve the humanity and salvage the Ashraf caged and vulnerable immaculate victims in Iraq. Or else, they will be blamed and curst by the next human generations because of their defaulting and evasion versus "terrorism and sectarianism".
Base on the U. N. charter measures, the incentive and inducible element of the international crises, threats, predicaments and disputes must be discerned, prosecuted, and chastised by the international authorities. Thus, whereas the head of the cult has ultra- absolute power, it means that he is superior to "absolute power" (God), because, the obedience of his victims from his rules are much more essential than God’s rules. As such, suspicion and qualm in relation to the entity and being of God could be relinquished in the intra relations of the cult, but any doubt and distrust as regards cult leadership is mortal sin and inexcusable. While considering such reigned rituals, traditions, and rules over a cult, there should be no more justifiable permission for anyone to hesitate and doubt that, the members of the cult are the first guiltless victims of the cult leader. Then, the head of the cult is the main incentive and inducible of all perpetrated crimes and grave accountable to any would-be terrorist threats of the cult at the moment plus in future. Now, with consideration of raising trend of the potential security threat and its daily extension in the West, as such, it is the pressing legal duty of the legitimate and lawful international organizations to perform their legal and historical responsibility and prepare necessary facilities of the Massoud Rajavi’s open trial. With the intention of ensuring the security and peace for the present world and the next human generations, these terrible criminals must be disclosed.
I and other separated members of the MKO cult declare that we are truthfully ready to transfer our experiences to the "human rights enthusiasts" to help the victims who are under the MKO thought control. As a result, Rajavis’ fraudulent business must be eradicated and the victims of this cult are allowed to have choice to be connected their own self-selection out of isolated scopes as Ashraf military base in Iraq and Maryam’s base in Paris. Therefore, the mechanical exploitation of the MKO over victims’ brainpower, soul and life must be stopped.
‘ font-size: 10pt”>MEPs intrigued by accounts of newly arrived escapees from Camp Ashraf
‘ font-size: 10pt”>Discussion of the Mojahedin-e Khalq/National Council of Resistance and its activities in the EU Parliament
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‘ font-size: 10pt”>On Tuesday 9 September a meeting was held by the Delegation for Relations with Iran in the European Parliament. The meeting focused on ‘Discussion of the Mojahedin-e Khalq/National Council of Resistance and its activities in an exchange of views with:
‘ font-size: 10pt”>Ms Anne Singleton expert on the MKO
‘ font-size: 10pt”>Representative of the NCR (declined invitation)
‘ font-size: 10pt”>Three Residents of Ashraf Refugee Camp who arrived from Iraq in the last couple of weeks: Ms. Ebrahimi, Mr. Hassan Piransar and Mr. Hamid Siah Mansoori.
‘ font-size: 10pt”>Also present were former MKO members Karim Haggi, Mohammad Sobhani, Hadi Shams Haeri and Ali Ghashghavi, who accompanied the new arrivals to provide support to these vulnerable people.
‘ font-size: 10pt”>Ms Angelika Beer, President of the Iran Delegation (Greens/EFA), began by describing the MKO and its activities up to the present time.
‘ font-size: 10pt”>Anne Singleton briefly described her own involvement with the MKO for over twenty years.
‘ font-size: 10pt”>Asserting that the MKO will not give up the use of violence to achieve its aims, Ms Singleton went on to explain why, in spite of that, she believes that the MKO has currently little to do with the Iranian political scene, but that precisely because it is a cult, its danger is that it interferes in parliamentary democracy in western countries in ways that may even involve criminal activity.
‘ font-size: 10pt”>Whilst agreeing that the MKO’s platform of ‘total regime change’ in Iran could be attractive to some politicians in the west, Ms Singleton challenged the delegates to consider whether the MKO would be able to achieve its stated aim – ‘will it do what it says on the tin’? Since its last major offensive against Iran in 1988, the MKO has achieved little to further its aims. She told delegates that they should also consider the possibility that, even if they believe the MKO has changed tactic and intends to pursue its aims only through political opposition, the MKO may not actually be ‘fit for purpose’ She urged them to consider the evidence of the three former residents of Camp Ashraf who have arrived in Europe from Iraq only in the past few weeks, and who would speak later in the meeting about conditions inside the MKO.
‘ font-size: 10pt”>Ms Singleton asserted that Iranian people – as those delegates who have visited Iran are aware – are not waiting to be rescued by the MKO and are capable of opposing their own government. Iranian women are not waiting to be taught about feminism by Maryam Rajavi who leads an organisation which – as Batul Ebrahimi will testify – badly abuses women members.
‘ font-size: 10pt”>Then Ms Singleton described the current situation of the MKO in Iraq. Control of Camp Ashraf, the MKO’s headquarters, has been transferred from the American military to the Iraqi military. Ms Singleton said that Iraqi government officials are angry at reports which suggest that the MKO would be ‘massacred’ if the Americans handed over Camp Ashraf.
‘ font-size: 10pt”>Instead, the people inside the camp are facing a humanitarian crisis because they are not allowed even basic freedoms such as the right to enjoy contact and visits from their families. A rumour has arisen that the Americans have removed around 300 of those captive in Camp Ashraf and left the others. Ms Singleton said that if this is the case then she would consider the remaining 3000 individuals in Camp Ashraf to be ex-members of the MKO. They should be brought to western countries as soon as possible.
‘ font-size: 10pt”>Finally, Ms Singleton presented delegates with one solution to the crisis at Camp Ashraf, remove the MKO from the European terrorist list and bring ALL 3,300 residents to Europe where those who are mentally, physically and emotionally sick would be able to receive help.
‘ font-size: 10pt”>Ms Singleton finished by reminding delegates that continuing support for the MKO would, of course, mean that the European Parliament accepted to have a cult operating in its midst and continuing to interfere in parliamentary democracy. However, if that is the decision to be made, then so be it.
‘ font-size: 10pt”>Ms Beer thanked Anne Singleton for her contribution and asked the three recently arrived, former Camp Ashraf residents to speak.
‘ font-size: 10pt”>Ms Ebrahimi (speaking in Farsi) told delegates that she had gone to Camp Ashraf when she was sixteen years old and although she quickly realised she wanted to leave, she was captive there for another ten years. She described conditions for women in the camp. Not only does the MKO not allow women to marry, women are made to work in the scorching sun for hours at a time so their complexions are ruined and they become ugly. This is so they do not develop the vanity to think they could be attractive to a man, she told delegates.
‘ font-size: 10pt”>In order to remove hope from the women of ever having a family, they are being sent under surgery for spurious medical conditions to have their wombs removed [hysterectomy] and around ten percent of women in Camp Ashraf have now undergone this surgery. When they tried to impose it on her, Ms Ebrahimi ran away. She begged delegates to take doctors to Camp Ashraf to check the veracity of what she was telling them.
‘ font-size: 10pt”>The MKO told her that if she left the camp and went with the American soldiers, they would rape her. For this reason it took two years before she was able to have the courage to escape.
‘ font-size: 10pt”>Ms Ebrahimi said she saw Mr Paulo Casaca when he visited Camp Ashraf. We were not allowed to approach him and speak to him, she explained to delegates. If they had somewhere to go, she told delegates, without doubt ninety-nine percent of the people in Camp Ashraf would leave the camp and the MKO.
‘ font-size: 10pt”>Mr Hamid Siah Mansoori (speaking English) told delegates he had been in the MKO for over twenty five years. He described how he had gone to Iraq from Canada. He had a good education, and a good life in Canada and had his own business before leaving everything behind in the mid 1980s to go to Iraq. He then described the MKO’s attitude to family. He said no one is allowed to contact their family, except in a few cases where people were told to contact their family to get money from them. He said the MKO told his family he was dead. They came to look for him five years ago – at the beginning of the American occupation – but were told he was dead.
‘ font-size: 10pt”>Mr Hamid Siah Mansoori said he had arrived only a week ago, but had lost any contact details for his family. Nevertheless, his first priority now was to make contact with his parents and the rest of his family.
‘ font-size: 10pt”>Ms Beer asked delegates if they had questions. One delegate asked how the MKO continued to be financed which allowed them to continue to undertake such expensive campaigns in parliament and elsewhere. Another delegate asked for more detail about the role of the Americans in supporting Camp Ashraf when the US State Department so strongly describes them as a terrorist group.
‘ font-size: 10pt”>Anne Singleton answered these questions, pointing out that during the reign of Saddam Hussein the MKO had received almost unlimited finance from Saddam Hussein, as well as from Saudi Arabia and some western governments from behind the scene. Now, however, although it is clear that MKO finances are dwindling somewhat, it was unclear how the MKO could continue to spend so much money, and the only people to answer that are the MKO themselves.
‘ font-size: 10pt”>Ms Singleton pointed out a five year rift in policy toward the MKO between the US State Department – which has a very thorough knowledge of the MKO – and the US Defense Department under Donald Rumsfeld. Some in the US Administration wanted to use the MKO in confronting Iran and therefore Camp Ashraf has been protected by the US military in Iraq for five years. Ms Singleton conceded that this protection was beneficial in keeping the MKO out of danger in the midst of a war zone. But that the Americans had also flouted the UN Fourth Geneva protocol by not allowing MKO to meet their families and not enabling them to leave the situation.
‘ font-size: 10pt”>Ms Beer then introduced Mr Mohammad Sobhani who had previously addressed the Delegation. Following that meeting he had been the subject of unfounded accusations of having attacked MKO members in Paris. Instead, Mr Sobhani was the victim of a violent attack when some fifty MKO supporters ambushed a meeting at which Mr Sobhani was a speaker.
‘ font-size: 10pt”>Following this, Mr Hadi Shams Haeri briefly pleaded with delegates to help him have contact with his children whom he has not been allowed to see for eighteen years. He asked that Mr Paulo Casaca accompany him to Camp Ashraf and help him meet with them again.
‘ font-size: 10pt”>At the end of the meeting Ms Beer expressed her appreciation for the speakers and said it had been a valuable meeting. One which, given the ongoing situation at Camp Ashraf, might soon be repeated.
‘ font-size: 10pt”>After the meeting, several of the attendees stopped to talk to the visitors – in particular the three who had just arrived from Iraq – and asked them to keep them informed of developments.
‘ font-size: 10pt”>Reported from EU Parliament,
How sweet it is to live within a warm, relaxing atmosphere among your family members.
After years of grieves under physical and mental pressures, it is so fascinating to stay with your own family without being worried about the cult leaders’ punishment or the peer pressure of the comrades.
What a pity that they lost many years of their lives without such CALM!
An Urgent Appeal, for Actions and Initiatives on behalf of Iranians in limbo in Iraq; in Defense of Human Rights and the Right to Asylum
Tragedy is too often the stuff of literature. The majority of people worldwide, try to avoid persons and situations that are shaped by too great a tragedy, concentrating instead on that which is simple and promises some easy resolution
Yet activists are literary figures. They concentrate on human tragedies, not shying away from multi-dimensional problems and readily working towards difficult solutions.
In a region increasingly marked with tragedy , perhaps no story is more tragic than that of the former members of the Iranian Mojahedin Khalq Organization (MKO), who wish to leave their state of limbo in war ravaged Iraq, can not return to Iran and hope for safety, and have not yet managed to gain asylum to any other corner of this earth.
The Iranian poet Shamlou – in his poem “Public Love” – talks of the dead of the year 1953 being the most loving of the living. And we have often repeated this when talking of those who have given their lives in any given year in the still ongoing struggle for freedom and human rights in Iran.
And yet one group of men and women, driven away by the unmet promise of the Iranian people’s revolution and told that if they loved their country and people well enough, they would give up everything and take up arms for just six short months, sought to prove this love by doing just this.
Security, jobs and children even were left behind, as these often young men and women – and some teenagers – left for Iraq , from where this struggle was to take shape.
Yet, each six month term was to be followed up with another, and they who had sought an alternative to two dictatorships within their own country, became victims of their leader’s power fantasies (which with time went as far as forcing all to divorce their partners and ban all other love – except the love for the one power – out of their very hearts) , Saddam Hossein’s war games , and the mind control, punishment routine , beatings and torture by their comrades!
And as the report released in 2005 by Human Rights Watch noted, there was “NO EXIT”![1] They were denied even the freedom to defect or leave. And so they were kept at Camp Ashraf in Iraq until this was turned into Camp “TIPF” , under the charge of US American forces. As hard at conditions were at Camp “TIPF”, with its recent closing the situation of these individuals became even more desperate.
Today, understanding the great and multi-faceted tragedy of these lives held in limbo and under extremely harsh and inhumane conditions , we deem it our responsibility to come to the defense of these fellow Iranians as well as to the defense of the legitimate rights of all political asylum seekers in Iraq. And we call upon all activists and defenders of human rights as well as political organs and organizations to familiarize themselves with this tragedy and – with us – to attempt to bring about a humane solution..
Iran National front – Europe (Germany); Summer 2008
The Following is a list of some of these former MKO members who are now in a state of limbo in Iraq, following the very recent closing of camp “TIPF”. Of these, 35 have been able to leave Iraq and are yet still in search of a destination.
Ebrahim Bolochi
Ebrahim Rahimi
Abolfazl Dehnamaki
Ahad Omidvar
Ahmad Soleimani
Ahmad Shahbazi
Ahmad Sehat
Ahmad Gharamohammadi
Ahmad Minai
Ahmad (pseudo name: Mehdi Ranjbar)
Ardeshir Baghbani
Arash Ahmadian
Esfandiyar Bakhshi
Esmail Momeni
Esmail Hooshyar
Afshin Gharatapeh
Iraj Golalipour
Iraj Mousavi
Parviz Derakshan
Parviz Ranjbar
Parviz Farahmand
Parviz Mousavi
Tohid
Jaber Tai Samirami
Jamal Azimi
Javad Assadi
Hamed Sarafpour
Hojatollah Rostampour
Hojatollah Kafai
Hassan Piransar
Hassan Nemati (Safar)
Hossein Bakhshalizadeh
Hossein Bazrpour
Hossein Borojani
Hossein Rezai
Hossein Zendegi
Hossein Mehravar
Hamzeh Tomari
Hamidreza Sistani
Hamidreza Karimi
Hamid Abdolghafari
Hamid Fellahat
Hamid Mohebi
Hamid Naji
Khosrow Dehani
Davoud Razavi
Dormohammad Dehani
Rayan Petrosian
Rahim Khodagholi
Reza Azmodeh
Reza Zand
Reza Mohammadi (Mehrtash)
Ramezan Ghorbanzadeh
Ramezan Mohammadinasab
Rouzbeh Kurdi
Soleiman Kheyri
Siavash Biyabani
Siavash Saidnia
Seyed Abbas Moussavi
Cyrus Taefi
Cyrus Vafa
Shokrollah Mohammadi
Shahab Ekhtiyari
Shirin Masratbakhsh
Sadegh Khorshidi
Sadegh Zohouri
Abedin Janbaz
Adel Kheyri
Adel Matlabi
Abdolamir Sayahi
Abdolsatar Jahangiri
Abdolkarim Mohammadtaghinejad
Abdollah Nikbakht Tabrizi
Ali Ahmadi
Aliakbare Bojari
Ali Bakhsh-afarinande (Reza Gooran)
Ali Barzegar
Ali Jahanifard
Ali Khademan
Alireza Shahmoradiyan
Ali Abdollahi
Ali Mohammad Baloch
Ali Moghadas
Ali Mirahmadi
Ali Miri
Alireaz Goyande
Alireza Mozenzade Tabrizi
Omad Bagheri
Gholamreza Asghari
Gholamreza Rezai
Gholamreza Kermani
Farzin Fasihi
Farshid Farsat
Farhad Bazrafshan
Firooz Karegar
Kambiz Taghipour
Kaveh Pourhamadani
Karam Eslami
Kamal Mousavi
Kiakavoos Amirahmadi
Keyvan Rastbin
Michael Petrosian
Majid Rouhi
Majid Shabani
Mohsen Abdolkhani
Mohsen Abdollahi
Mohammad Ebrahim Rahimi
Mohammad Amir Raisi
Mohammad Taghi Ansari
Mohamad Tehrani
Mohammad Hossein Yousefi
Mohmmad Dadjou
Mohammad Dostdar
Mohammad Razaghi
Mohammad Reza Hosseini
Mohammad Saadooni
Mohammad Sahebi
Mohammad Ali Ahmadi
Mohammad Ghale-joghi
Mohammad Karami
Mohammad Yousef Charezahi
Mahmoud Bayat
Mahmoud Khaleghi
Mahmoud Eynaki
Morteza Mohajer
Masoud Zarghami
Moustafa Heydari
Moustafa Shafiie
Mansour Asari
Mansour Keshmiri
Manouchehr Khodadadi
Mehdi Barjeste Garmaroudi
Mehdi Abbaszadeh
Mehdi Fazollahi
Mehdi Nikbakht
Mehrdad Abdolvand
Mehrdad Fathi
Mehrdad Vosoghi
Mousa Marzban
Mirbagher Sedaghati
Nader Keshtkar
Nader Naderi
Nadali Rahimi
Nasrollah Azari
Norouz Tavakol
Hadi Afshar (pseudo name: Said Jamali)
Hashem Ostovar
Homayou Kaviani
Vahid Karami
Younes Hassanpour
List compiled on 15.08.2008
[1]For more information please read: http://www.hrw.org/backgrounder/mena/iran0505/1.htm
The letter of the 8 recent survivors of Rajavi cult who have managed to get themselves out of Iraq and into Europe
On Tuesday July 22, 2008, eight survivors of the Rajavi cult, who have managed to get themselves out of Iraq and into Europe, attended a meeting in the US embassy in Paris and presented a letter in support of the people who are left back in Camp Ashraf in Iraq.
The names of the newly arrived survivors of the Mojahedin Khalq Organisation terrorist training camp in Iraq – who are protected by the US administration against the will of the Iraqi government – will be kept in confidence at the request of their lawyers and the French police because of fears for their safety.
Rahai Association of Netherlands is proud to announce that the association was involved in helping the new arrivals of the camp and joined them in the meeting.
The names and the stories of every individual will be announced in future along with the stories about the inhuman way the Mojahedin Khalq (Rajavi cult) has tried to control and suppress them during their stay inside the camp.
Rahai
July 24, 2008
Address: prinsesseweg 44-1
9717 BK Groningen
Netherlands
Telefoon: 0031624236194
Fax: 0031505798923
Email: info@rahai.nl
————–
Ambassador Craig Roberts Stapleton
US Embassy in France
2, avenue Gabriel
75382 Paris Cedex 08
France
Your Excellency,
In our introduction we must first express our gratitude to members of the American armed forces in Iraq who helped us to escape from the clutches of the Iranian terrorist cult, Mojahedin-e Khalq (MeK), after the group was disarmed in 2003.
We are representing people who want to leave Camp Ashraf, individuals like ourselves who are desperate to get out of the MeK as a terrorist organisation.
We have now reached the safety of Europe after enduring a difficult struggle to get here. We are disappointed that while American forces did nothing to hinder our eventual freedom, nothing was done in any way to help us get to safety and return to normal life.
It is because of this situation that we promised our friends that once we were safe we would speak on behalf of those yet to escape. As the personal representative of President George Bush, we appeal to you to take our message to the heart of your government.
We were greatly disappointed by the closure of the TIPF at Camp Ashraf, Iraq in May this year. This has made it almost impossible for anyone else to leave the MeK and turn their back on terrorism and violence. The US government makes bold statements about the ‘war on terror’. What happens when those involved desperately want to turn their back on terrorism and return to normal life? Does the Administration have no responsibility toward them when they are under your protection?
Instead of helping those who abandon violence as a way of life, American forces are deliberately protecting the infrastructure of the MeK terror group in Iraq. Your government is fully aware of the conditions inside Camp Ashraf. The incidences of unrest, violence and suicides speak of desperate dissatisfaction among those trapped inside the MeK’s hegemony. Yet, for five years your soldiers have been giving protection to both the environment and the individuals which perpetuate this suffering.
American soldiers essentially washed their hands of us once removing us from TIPF. It has been through good fortune and our own efforts that a number of us have reached Europe and gained our freedom. Your government has failed in a moral responsibility to aid those who turn their backs on terrorism.
What will you do now to help others who want to leave the MeK?
The Iraqi government has repeatedly demanded the removal of all foreign terrorist groups from their country. In this respect, the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) has recently discovered that Iran will no longer accept any ex-MeK from Iraq. Those who protest loudly that the people in Camp Ashraf are in imminent danger of being expelled to Iran and rounded up and executed are plainly wrong. There is no way they can return to their families, even if they want to. This is because your government has failed to dismantle the group over five years and give everyone in the camp the minimum of freedom to decide their own fate.
If you had, we are sure you would have no more than a few hundred loyal terrorists on your hands at this time. Instead, you are forced to remove 3,300 unformed combatants which since 1997 your government has designated as terrorists, from Camp Ashraf under utmost secrecy and maximum security to an unknown location.
There are tens of hundreds who would willingly leave the MeK if they had a minimum of help. We ask you in the name of their families, in the name of human rights and in the name of morality to give them that help.
Yours sincerely
On behalf of our friends in Camp Ashraf, Iraq
Rahai Association, July 24, 2008
rahai.nl