The BBC published a lie-filled report about the Mujahedin-e Khalq (PMOI/MEK) based solely on the statements of two Ministry of Intelligence and Security (MOIS) agents, even though the MEK had spoken with the BBC journalists for five-and-a-half hours at their Albanian headquarters of Ashraf 3, which brings the whole notion of balance and accuracy into question.

The piece was so bias that Shahin Gobadi, Press Spokesman of the MEK, had to ask what the Regime offered the BBC to secure this “inexplicable and vulgar hit-piece” against the MEK.

#BBC Iranian Regime Propaganda Demonizing the #MEK https://t.co/HMSXmEuN0a#Iran #FreeIran @USAdarFarsi #FakeNews #FakeNewsMedia

— MEK Iran (Mujahedin-e Khalq) (@MEK_Iran) November 13, 2019

Gobadi wrote a response to the BBC report where he said that the only explanation for the libelous anti-MEK website article is that the previous slanderous anti-MEK radio program didn’t please the mullahs enough.

He wrote that the BBC was wrong to claim that the MEK didn’t want to speak with the BBC, when their only reservations were about taking part in a hit-piece scripted by the MOIS who have previously plotted terror attacks against the MEK in Albania, France, and Iraq, even providing documents to prove this.

In fact, the BBC need not even take the MEK’s word for it. They could instead listen to the Albanian Police, who revealed details of the regime’s plots against the MEK in Albania less than three weeks before this article was published. They could also take the word of the French, German, and Belgian police forces, several UN officials, and many politicians across the world.

No wonder people in #Iran call #BBC as Ayatollah BBC
It has always been a partner to mullahs for running demonizing campaign against #MEK, #FakeNews #FakeNewsMedia @USAdarFarsi https://t.co/gLETU8OlNR

— MEK Iran (Mujahedin-e Khalq) (@MEK_Iran) November 12, 2019

So who are these MOIS agents? Gobadi explains that Gholam-Ali Mirzai, a prisoner-of-war captured by the MEK after attacking them, was released and offered a safe haven by the MEK, should he not want to return to Iran. He was even sent to Albania by the MEK but was asked to leave.

He lied when he said that he was not told about his family’s visit to Iraq when he resided in the MEK camp there. After all, the camp was accessible to everyone and, at the time, the representatives of the United Nations Assistance Mission in Iraq (UNAMI), the United Nations Refugee Agency (UNHCR), and the US military were present at the camp and would certainly have intervened.

The journalist even admits in the article that Mirzai visited the Iranian Embassy in Tirana and quoted a diplomat as saying that “some of the ‘disassociates’ are certainly working for Iran”.

While the other informant, Hassan Heyrani, admitted in his own handwriting that he’d been expelled from the MEK over “intelligence, security concerns, and his treason”, for which he had apologized; a document that is publically available and could have been accessed by the reporter.

Gobadi wrote: “These bogus narratives pursue only one objective: Mollifying the criminals ruling Iran at the expense of [the MEK] who have dedicated their lives to democracy and freedom in Iran, and more than 100,000 of whom have been executed by the ruling mullahs, including 30,000 massacred in 1988.”

The Iranian Regime is facing multiple crises domestically and internationally, so it feels the need to hit back at the MEK, which is the democratic opposition movement capable of overthrowing them in favor of a Free Iran. But why does the BBC feel the need to defend the mullahs?

Gobadi wrote: “Perhaps, from the perspective of the Iranian regime’s western appeasers and benefactors [the] only “crime” of MEK [is] their singular focus on, and unflinching dedication to, one sacred mission: liberating Iran from the yoke of the monsters who wear the turban and the robe and exploit religion to justify their savagery, unmatched by any dictatorial regime since the Second World War.”

The Iranian regime has responded to the continued uprisings in Iraq and Lebanon, tightening sanctions against regime Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei and his inner circle, and the rise of the Iranian Resistance and anti-regime protests in Iran with yet another smear campaign against the Mujahedin-e Khalq (PMOI/MEK).

Asking #BBC:
CULT!! What kind of cult is this, while #MEK invites hundreds of prominent international politicians including @RudyGiuliani and Albanian President @ilirmetazyrtar
Read more about BBC #FakeNewshttps://t.co/GJlJgazCQp #Iran #FakeNewsMedia https://t.co/tChlFLnrB6 pic.twitter.com/3Rme0KEcAM

— MEK Iran (Mujahedin-e Khalq) (@MEK_Iran) November 12, 2019

The most recent demonization campaign against the MEK and the Iranian Resistance is focused on eliminating the appearance of a viable alternative to the regime in order to convince the West that preserving the policy of appeasement is the only feasible path forward. A recent hit piece published by BBC, which used testimony from “former MEK members,” is the latest example of this strategy in action.

Unreliable Sources

The BBC report is riddled with falsehoods about the MEK, but the biggest problem with the piece is its reliance on “former MEK members” as sources. Numerous previous investigations have established that these so-called former members are recruited by the regime’s Ministry of Intelligence and Security (MOIS) and work as agents of the regime. A similar report on the German website Der Spiegel was taken down last year after a court found overwhelming evidence that the allegations against the MEK they presented in their article were fabricated by MOIS agents as a means of tarnishing the MEK’s reputation in Albania.

Helping mullahs to escape the deadly crisis they are facing these days, once again #BBC showed up as a mouthpiece of the religious fascist regime ruling #Iranhttps://t.co/RUuZcxjIN1#MEK @USAdarFarsi pic.twitter.com/U3N4OY3CCe

— MEK Iran (Mujahedin-e Khalq) (@MEK_Iran) November 12, 2019

German and Dutch security services have both warned in recent years that the Iranian regime uses individuals posing as “former members of the MEK” to conduct espionage activities and to set the stage for terrorist operations.

On October 23, 2019, the Albanian Police announced that details of an Iranian regime terrorist plot against MEK members living in Albania had been uncovered due to the services of “former members.” This information likely saved lives. This information was excluded entirely from the BBC report, despite its relevance and currency. She also failed to mention that the regime’s ambassador and station chief were expelled from Albania last year because of their terrorist activities against the MEK.

False Claims about Ashraf-3

The Iranian regime has long claimed that the MEK is a cult that brainwashes its members. This diverts attention from its constant terrorist threats against members living at the MEK’s headquarters, which was recently relocated to Albania. The MEK hosted 350 dignitaries from 47 countries this summer at  Ashraf-3, their new home. Guests were invited to see how the Ashrafis live up close and to dispel any rumors they may have heard. They were able to see that MEK members are not brainwashed, refused access to the Internet, or denied freedom of choice. There have been no mass defections.

BBC reporter Linda Pressly and several of her colleagues were also invited to visit Ashraf-3, and they spent several hours speaking privately with members and traveling freely on the grounds. Ms. Pressly said in her report that the MEK refused to be interviewed for her program, but she neglected to mention that she visited Ashraf-3 and that MEK representatives chose not to be part of her program that was wittingly or unwittingly part of an MOIS script. They also noted their objection to appearing alongside individuals whose objective and mission is collecting intelligence and assisting the Iranian regime to conduct terrorist operations against the MEK.

Lies about Members

The report contained a disturbing fabrication about prisoner-of-war Gholam-Ali Mirzaie, claiming that the MEK did not inform his that his family had come to visit him from Iran while he was in Iraq with the MEK. This blatant falsehood does not hold water. Representatives from the United Nations Assistance Mission in Iraq (UNAMI) and the United Nations Refugee Agency (UNHCR), as well as the U.S. military, were present at the MEK camp in Iraq and accessible to everyone there, so it would not have been possible to prevent anyone from knowing about a visitor.

Mirzaie was released on September 4, 2016, and sent to Albania to live as he pleased. Once he arrived in Albania, he requested in writing to join the MEK.

As for “former member” Hassan Heyrani, his claims against the MEK must be tempered with the knowledge that he was expelled from the organization due to “intelligence, security concerns, and his treason.” Heyrani apologized for his actions and appealed the decision in his own handwriting. The documents supporting this were provided to the BBC prior to their report.

Facing the growing popularity of the Mujahedin-e Khalq (PMOI/MEK), the Iranian regime and its apologists try to run a new demonizing campaign against the main opposition, MEK. The recent example is an article posted on NBC Website.

This shameful article raised the anger of many Iranians diaspora who find the MEK as their only hope for democratic change in their beloved homeland, Iran. the following our letters by two Iranians expressing their feelings about the biased article of the NBC.

"These outlets are mainly pro-engagement and pro-appeasement vis-à-vis the fascist mullahs’ in Tehran despite this regime’s atrocious human rights record with the world’s highest number of executions per capita."#Iranhttps://t.co/b7dVNn9mq8

— People's Mojahedin Organization of Iran (PMOI/MEK) (@Mojahedineng) October 21, 2019

The first letter is from Mr. Ehsan Qaraee; he writes:

“I am an Iranian-Norwegian civil engineer, and human rights activist. Several days ago, I read an article on your website regarding the MEK, the largest and most organized opposition against the theocratic dictatorship in Iran. Unfortunately, this article is filled with slanders and lies about the history and reality of the MEK and sadly repeats baseless accusations made by the propaganda apparatus of the Iranian regime.

Here I only refer to one of those accusations; your writers claim that the MEK killed several Americans back in the 70s. Unfortunately, they deliberately ignore the fact that several courts in your own country dismissed this allegation (among many others). These lies are made by the Iranian regime just to smear the MEK.

Unfortunately Mr Daniel Benjamin has proved many times in the past that his intentions are not right about the MEK particularly and Iran policy in general and because of that he gets so much coverage by the IRGC’s news media, a real terrorist organization which has blood of many Iranians, Iraqis, Syrians,… and Americans on their hands. I’ll attach some of those coverages here.

As a direct victim of the Iranian regime, I sincerely hope that you don’t let your news outlet become a mouthpiece for the dictatorship in Iran.”

Another rebuttal to lies about the #MEK– Fake News published at NBCNews
https://t.co/2TIuekVYGn#NBCNews #Iran #FreeIran @USAdarFarsi

— MEK Iran (Mujahedin-e Khalq) (@MEK_Iran) October 26, 2019

The second letter MEK- Iran received is from Amir Seifi, a political refugee, Irish citizen, Mechanical Engineer and the General Manager of a medical technology company, living in Dublin, Ireland. In his letter, Mr. Seifi wrote:

” This is a rejoinder to the NBC News inflammatory and partial article published on October 17th, 2019, titled: “Giuliani’s work for Iranian group with bloody past could lead to more legal woes”.

As an Iranian, I found nothing surprising and new about this hatchet job or any of its false, misleading and tendentious points. A prime example of Fake News. Iranians are very well familiar with such threadbare tactics of the brutal theocracy holding Iran hostage for the past four decades. It is not only victim-blaming but also siding with the perpetrators.

I have no intention of defending the current White House administration. However, with the upcoming campaign for the American presidential elections, this hit piece seems perfectly timed to fuel a specific political agenda; using attacks against political opponents to target the Iranian opposition. One stone and two birds. The Ayatollahs and their lobbyists are great at finding allies with direct and indirect common interests.

The baseless accusation of the PMOI/MEK killing Americans has been examined in courts and by the various American agencies and dismissed as there was not a shred of evidence to back this claim. On the contrary, the Iranian regime has a colorful track record of killing hundreds of Americans in terror attacks such as the Beirut barracks bombings, Khobar Towers bombings in Saudi Arabia, the use of the IEDs in Iraq and so on. It is easy to realize how people like the authors of the article and Daniel Benjamin can turn a blind eye to the latter and but insist on targeting the MEK without any form of investigation on the claims.

The designation of the MEK as a terrorist organization does not need much explanation but just that it happened as part of an appeasement policy towards the Iranian regime, which didn’t yield any fruit in the end. It was thanks to the impartial and independent judiciary system of the United States that found this label unjust and baseless and ruled and forced the resisting administration to remove it.

Leaving aside all baseless accusations, it does not appear really difficult to identify the just side. On one side we have a resistance whose members and supporters have been imprisoned, tortured and murdered. A resistance that has time and time again announced and pledged its commitment to its clear ten-point plan for a free, secular and democratic future for Iran. On the other side, we have bloodthirsty tyrants (needless to say unpopular inside and outside Iran) and their lobbyists like NIAC and supporters such as Benjamin who constantly seek opportunities to serve the Ayatollahs’ regime and its allies. And on this path, they do not care one iota when it comes to sacrificing the values within the Human Rights Declaration and the American Constitution for their own political agenda.

Finally, questioning the source of the MEK/PMOI funds and calling it a mystery is another astounding tendentious remark from the authors of the article and the people whom they quote. To call this lazy journalism is an understatement. I proudly announce that I personally am one of the financial sources of the MEK, along with countless other patriotic Iranians who yearn for a free and democratic Iran. I can back my claim with evidence of my contributions to the MEK/PMOI/NCRI. We, the ordinary Iranians, are whom the resistance relies on upon to fund its struggle against the regime. We understand what the Iranian regime truly is and what it takes to claim our country back again. I was forced to leave Iran after the student uprising of 1999 and 20 years later, people are coming to the streets every day to demand the mullahs go. We will continue to support their opposition and will not stop until our country is free of dictatorship.”

Staff Writer

In the last week of July, ambassadors and representatives from the Iranian regime held their annual gathering in Tehran. According to reports from inside the regime, the primary subjects of this year’s gathering were the diplomat terrorist who was arrested in Germany, strategies for confronting the Iranian resistance at the International level, and ways to increase morale among diplomats and prevent them from defecting.

Khamenei, Rouhani, Jahangiri and Zarif were present as usual, but this year they were joined by

Qods Force commander Soleimani, Minister of Intelligence Mahmoud Alavi, Interior Minister Rahmani Fazli, Speaker of the Majlis Ali Larijani, Head of the Judiciary Sadeq Larijani, Khamenei Advisor Ali Akbar Velayati, Defense Minister Amir Hatami, Head of the Atomic Energy Organization Ali Akbar Salehi, Minister of Culture and Islamic Guidance Abbas Salehi, Chairman of the Organization of Islamic Culture and Communication Abouzar Ebrahimi Turkman, and a number of other leaders of the regime, who all participated and gave speeches.

One goal of the gathering was to coordinate between the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the Ministry of Intelligence, the Qods Force, and the various agencies involved in espionage and the demonization campaign against the MEK and the Iranian Resistance. The agencies hope to pave the way for terrorist acts against the MEK and the Resistance.

 

There was some concern by overseas representatives of the regime about the response of foreign governments and media to the arrest of a regime diplomat for a “serious terrorist act” and “flagrant violation of the Vienna Convention.” These representatives were briefed by Alavi and Zarif on ways to “deal with Assadi’s case” using

“psychological warfare and the pumping of false information.” They added that past and future acts against the hypocrites (MEK) must be made digestible. To further this end, representatives of the regime were ordered to reactivate their relationships with the intelligence and security divisions of their host countries.

 

An internal report by the IRGC stated that a strikes against the MEK are “in the political, military, security and intelligence priority of the regime,” and targeting members, while they are traveling, is on their agenda. According to an August 17th statement by the Anti-terrorism Committee, the Ministry of Intelligence and the Qods Force were ordered to consider terrorist acts against the MEK using non-Iranian mercenaries.

 

Also discussed at the meetings was the coordination of the Foreign Ministry and foreign representative offices with the IRGC and the Quds Force in terrorist and warring interventions in the region, including Iraq, Syria, and Yemen. Overseas representatives were instructed on how to justify these actions to the government, parliament, parties and the press.

 

Finally, regime leaders attempted to reassure the diplomats, who have grown increasingly concerned about the uprising of the Iranian people and the sanctions have been reimposed. The regime’s Supreme Security Council is worried that its representatives may leave to seek asylum in European countries.

Staff Writer