Leading State Sponsor of Terrorism Fears Iran’s Resistance
iranian resistance rally paris july 1, 2023
Written by
Mahmoud Hakamian
In recent years, particularly since the eruption of radical uprisings in late 2017, there hasn’t been a week or even a day when the Iranian regime hasn’t taken action or plotted against the National Council of Resistance of Iran (NCRI) and its principal member organization, the People’s Mojahedin Organization (PMOI/MEK).
These actions range from domestic propaganda campaigns, spreading unfounded rumors, and the mass arrest of thousands of their supporters within the country to international tactics such as assassination plots, conspiracies, and diplomatic demonization.
Just this past week, the regime once again demonstrated its relentless pursuit of suppressing its significant existential threats, despite grappling with severe economic, social, and political crises at home, international isolation, and major security challenges in the region. This was evident following Argentina’s request for the arrest of the regime’s interior minister during his visits to Pakistan and Sri Lanka, followed by the abrupt cancellation of Ahmad Vahidi’s trip and his subsequent return to Iran.
In response, certain state media outlets resurrected claims that the AMIA case—a long-standing source of contention between Tehran and Buenos Aires—was fabricated, citing supposed disclosures by Iran’s Resistance. Mehr News Agency on April 28 quoted an American researcher claiming that “all the allegations against Iran and Hezbollah, in this case, are instigated by the terrorist monafeqin group.”
Monafeqin (Arabic for hypocrites), an epithet derived from the Quran, has been cynically exploited by the regime to defame the PMOI within Iranian society.
Mehr wrote, “The complete text of the arrest warrant issued by Alberto Nisman, the prosecutor of the AMIA case in 2006 against Iranian officials, reveals that the entire indictment is based on allegations orchestrated by the Mujahedin-e Khalq Organization.”
Alberto Nisman was a federal prosecutor in Argentina who, on January 18, 2015, was assassinated by the Iranian regime in collusion with its corrupt allies in high positions of the former Argentine government.
Maryam Rajavi: Prosecutor Nisman is a martyr for peace and humanity and not just a martyr of the Argentinean people http://t.co/t6gAqimNDp
— Maryam Rajavi (@Maryam_Rajavi) January 28, 2015
Meanwhile, a senior official of the Iranian regime requested Albania to extradite members of the PMOI to Tehran. On April 27, state media quoted Mohammad Dehghan, the legal deputy to the president of the Iranian regime, as saying, “Documents of the crimes and betrayals of the Mujahedin-e Khalq Organization have been collected by the Ministry of Intelligence and handed over to the judiciary, and fortunately the judiciary has also formed courts and is in the process of prosecution.”
Dehghan’s reference is to a staged trial that was instigated last year, targeting the PMOI, along with 104 members and officials of the NCRI. This trial follows 40 years marked by massacres and assassinations of NCRI members both inside and outside the country.
Dehghan said, “We are anticipating the verdict’s issuance to enable its enforcement beyond our borders. Since the Mujahedin-e Khalq Organization has not faced appropriate consequences within the country in past years, their audacity has only grown, and despite having killed over 17,000 of our compatriots, they now feel very much entitled. In fact, they may be considered the largest terrorist organization in the world in recent years.”
Ebrahim Raisi’s legal deputy also asserted that the United States has supported the PMOI in recent years, providing them with equipment, facilities, and funds to commit crimes against Tehran. It appears that this legal deputy is not only ignorant of legal principles but also lacks an understanding of contemporary history. Over the past three decades, Western governments, pressured and demanded by Tehran, have blacklisted the PMOI, confiscated their properties and assets, disarmed their forces at the Iran-Iraq border, and expelled them from their military bases along the Iran border to reassure the Iranian regime’s security. However, the regime’s words and actions suggest it is still far from feeling secure.
Justice in Absurdity: #Iran’s Lawless Dictator Holds Trial of Sworn Enemieshttps://t.co/gMVIRpmuT0
— NCRI-FAC (@iran_policy) December 25, 2023
In the staged court in Tehran, the appointed judge stated during a session last Tuesday, April 23, “I declare to the people of Albania and some European countries that indictments have been issued for individuals. They have been granted the right to choose a lawyer for their defense, and a fair and impartial trial has been held for them. An action that seems other countries have hesitated to take for their people [referring to the PMOI members residing in other countries], failing to inform them about a fair and just trial. These governments should prioritize the security of their people and, like any other accused group, take actions in line with their national interests in extraditing them [the PMOI] to the Islamic Republic of Iran.”
It’s clear that these public statements are just the tip of the iceberg, hinting at significant actions happening behind the scenes. The regime, which has repeatedly emphasized the PMOI’s role in its nationwide illegitimacy and its leading role in popular uprisings, attributes the disclosure of its nuclear, missile, and regional ambitions to the NCRI as another grievance.
Therefore, whenever the international community seeks to address the root causes of crises in the Middle East, rather than relying on self-proclaimed “Iran Experts” in Washington, London, Paris, or Berlin, it would be more insightful to consider what is being said and printed in Tehran.