Parviz Heidarzadeh, former member of the Mujahedin-e Khalq left the group after it was relocated in Albania in 2016. He lived independently in Albania for five years and he returned to his family in north of Iran, a few months ago. He spoke on the MEK’s cult-like suppressive atmosphere, in a meeting with a group of families of members of the MEK who are still mentally and physically banned under the group’s propaganda and cult system in Albania. “The MEK’s propaganda about its public support in Iran is totally false,” he said. “They are like dinosaurs here. They are extinct. The youth do not know them at all.”
Heidarzadeh emphasized that the determination to leave the MEK system requires courage. He said, “I just advise my ex-comrades in the MEK not to be afraid of the group’s disinformation about the outside world. Just make your mind and release yourself.”
Parviz Heydarzadeh
About the atmosphere ruling the Cult of Rajavi, Heidarzadeh stated, “Members are forced to work hard. Under severe forced labor, they never find a chance to think about their families. At night, they are so exhausted that they are not able to think of their own personal affairs.”
He explained about the conditions of MEK members in the Albanian territory, “Members are ordered to spy on each other. They have to report on their peers to the group’s commanders. If they see other defectors in the streets of Tirana, they will not be allowed to talk to them, instead they have to report everything they saw to the group.”
Regarding the families of MEK’s hostages, Heidarzadeh emphasized that in contrast with MEK members, families have access to all human rights bodies and international organizations. He told families, “You can take many actions in order to liberate your loved ones from the MEK; you can write letters, you can contact the International community to call for aid.”
According to Parviz Heidarzadeh, the MEK is in decline. “The group’s youngest members are in their forties,” he said. “No new generation has been born in the MEK in the past years. The youngest members who were children of Mujahed parents left the group immediately after it was settled in Albania. Thus, The MEK leaders are just making efforts to maintain the current forces.”