Albania stepped up where many other countries didn’t in offering shelter and refuge to the members of the People’s Mojahedin of Iran (PMOI or MEK) when they were finally released from Iraq. They welcomed 3,000 members much to the horror of the Iranian regime that has been trying to destroy the main opposition group.

The regime is greatly concerned about the dissidents and their potential in a new country far away from the watchful eye of the mullahs. So, the regime is once again carrying out a demonization campaign against the dissidents.
tion is that the regime has gone back to its old tricks of carrying out terrorist acts against members of the opposition. Earlier this year, an Iranian diplomat based in Vienna was arrested along with two other individuals that had planned to set off a bomb at the annual “Free Iran” rally in Paris.

Another plot was foiled in Denmark when an agent with close ties to the Iranian ambassador in Norway was sent to assassinate a member of the opposition.

What is now concerning is that two known MOIS (Iranian ministry of intelligence and security) spies – Massoud Khodabandeh and Anne Singleton (husband and wife) – have been to Albania where the dissents are. They have been trained by Iranian intelligence agents and they have no doubt had involvement with the attacks in Iraq on Camp Liberty and Camp Ashraf where almost two thousand residents were injured and 168 lost their lives.

They were seen outside the camp gates in Iraq and now they have been spotted outside the new compound in Albania leaving a chilling sense of déjà-vu.
The Iranian regime has been spreading lies about the dissidents living in Albania, saying that they are being held captive there and that they cannot leave.

It has portrayed the community as being like a prison and say that the people are tortured by the leaders. It has even claimed that members have been murdered. They give the case of Somayeh Mohammadi, a 38-year-old woman. The regime says that she is being held against her will and that her father tried to come and rescue her.

However, Struan Stevenson, coordinator of Campaign for Iran Change and former member of European Parliament, recently went to visit the compound. He spoke to Somayeh who explained that she is not being held captive and can leave if and when she wants. She explained that her reason for not wanting to see her father was because he is a member of the MOIS.

Unfortunately the Western press is not doing its due diligence when publishing stories about the MEK in Albania and they are falling for the Iranian regime’s lies. The residents of Ashraf 3 are visited by their families, lawyers, politicians and trades people very frequently and they paint a picture of hard-working, resilient and peaceful people who are more than anything freedom-fighters and survivors.