Iranian opposition investigation continues with police, resident violence probe

Arrests, investigations and interrogations continue in Albania following a massive police operation that saw hundreds of officers raid the compound of the People’s Mojahedin Organisation of Iran (MEK) this week, resulting in one death, scores of injuries, and a complex web of international relations.

The MEK is an Iranian opposition military organisation that advocates the overthrow of the current regime in Tehran. After being forced out of Iran, the organisation was relocated to Camp Ashraf, Iraq, near the Iranian border in 1985 and sided with Iraq during the Iran-Iraq War.

In 1992, it carried out attacks against Iranian embassies in 13 countries and was designated as a terrorist organisation by the US, Canada, EU, UK and Japan for its use of terror tactics. This status was removed during the 2000s, and its members were relocated to Albania and France.

On Tuesday, the State Police and special forces entered the premises to conduct a search, resulting in a serious clash as residents refused to hand over computer equipment.

Currently, there are up to 10 individuals being questioned over claims police used violence and are responsible for the one death. Six others were arrested and are facing charges of disobeying police orders, opposing a police officer, and destruction of property.

Police have asked for footage from security cameras within the compound, but the MEK has refused, so far, to hand it over. To ascertain what happened, police are interviewing a number of witnesses. Meanwhile, the authorities are waiting for the results of the autopsy carried out on the 78-year-old man who died after the operation. Albanian authorities say he died of natural causes, while the MEK says he was killed.

According to the country’s special court against corruption and organised crime, it is suspected that members of MEK carried out cyber attacks against Iran, including public and government institutions, while on Albanian territory.

SPAK registered criminal proceedings on 18 May 2023 for the criminal offences “provocation of war”, “illegal interception of computer data”, “interference in computer data”, “misuse of equipment”, structured criminal group.

As per Article 211 of the Criminal Code, “Committing actions aimed at provoking war or putting the Republic of Albania at risk of intervention by foreign powers is punishable by imprisonment of no less than fifteen years.”

Court documents also note that of the approximately 3,000 MEK members that were brought to Albania in 2018, some 450 escaped. Around 300 are believed to have left the country illegally, 100 crossed the border with regular documents, and 50 remain.

In March 2021, MEK was accused by Facebook of running a troll farm out of their base in Albania, closing more than 300 accounts belonging to members.

In a statement published on its website, Facebook said it had investigated and disrupted a “long-running operation from Albania that targeted primarily Iran.”

“The people behind this activity relied on a combination of authentic and fake accounts to post MEK-related content and comment on their own and other people’s posts, including those of international news organisations like Radio Liberty, Voice of America and BBC,” said the report.

Over the years, many questions have been asked about MEK, with The Guardian questioning whether members of the group are terrorists, cultists, or champions of Iranian democracy and the New York Times describing a visit there as full of “propaganda sessions”.

Those who have reported on MEK with a critical view raised possible legal issues or questioned their presence in Albania have reported threats and smear campaigns, including targeted online harassment.

Furthermore, defectors from the Albanian site claim they are held there against their will with curtailed rights and are not allowed to have relationships with other residents.

In 2019, Exit accessed the compound for a forum and reported that makeup and mobile devices were confiscated upon entry, members wore strict uniforms and were segregated by sex. In the days following the visit, after it was revealed that the journalist intended to write about the forum, they received some 15 calls and messages demanding they return for further tours and ‘explanatory sessions’.

Since the raid this week, many accounts publishing support and news for MEK have gone silent.

(Alice Taylor | Exit.al)