Albania: MEK Violated 2014 Agreement; No Casualties Reported During Search

The Albanian police announced that hundreds of officers entered the Ashraf 3 camp, which hosts members of the Mujahedin-e Khalq (MEK), on Tuesday, June 30, based on an order from the Special Prosecutor's Office. The Albanian Ministry of Interior also stated that no one was killed during the police operation. This comes as the National Council of Resistance of Iran reported one death. According to the Albanian section of Voice of America, the police stated that the operation aimed to thoroughly inspect all internal spaces and offices. The report mentioned that the order for these inspections was based on suspicions of the organization coordinating cyberattacks against other countries. The Albanian Ministry of Interior subsequently accused the MEK of violating the agreement regarding the settlement of its members in the country. The ministry stated, 'The court's decision is a direct result of actions that directly violate the agreement and commitments of the MEK since 2014, when they were settled in Albania for humanitarian reasons. Unfortunately, this group has not adhered to these commitments and has violated the agreement.' According to the Albanian Ministry of Interior, there was resistance within the camp against the police performing their duties, which is 'a violation of the law.' Additionally, members of the MEK and their lawyer reported police violence and the use of tear gas and rubber batons. A lawyer for the MEK stated that several injured individuals were treated in the camp hospital, and one person died due to the violence. The Albanian Ministry of Interior rejected these claims, emphasizing that 'there were no fatalities or injuries during this operation. All claims regarding fatalities in the hospital where they reside are under investigation.' Meanwhile, it has been reported that over 15 injured individuals are being treated in hospitals in Tirana, the capital of Albania. In contrast, according to a statement from the National Council of Resistance of Iran, following the actions of the Albanian police, Ali Moshtashari, a member of the MEK, was killed, and over 100 were injured due to pepper spray. The council described the behavior of the Albanian police as 'reminiscent of the criminal attacks by Maliki's forces on Ashraf in Iraq between 2009 and 2015.' This statement refers to the attacks by Iraqi forces on the MEK's base in Iraq, during which about 100 members of the MEK were killed and hundreds were injured. The council called on 'the U.S. government and the United Nations, which have repeatedly guaranteed the safety and health of the residents of Ashraf,' to condemn this 'criminal and brutal behavior and to provide the necessary guarantees to prevent these illegal actions that violate many international treaties, including the Refugee Convention, the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, and the European Convention on Human Rights.' Ali Safavi, a member of the Foreign Affairs Committee of the National Council of Resistance of Iran, stated in a written response to Voice of America regarding the police attack on the Ashraf 3 camp: 'This was a brutal attack. They invaded the resting place of the women. During this attack, one member of the MEK was killed, and over a hundred were severely injured, some of whom are in a coma, and the Albanian government shamelessly speaks of a judicial order?' He added, 'The price of these shameful concessions has always been paid by the people and resistance of Iran through executions and repression over the past 40 years. It has reached a point where the West, by conceding to this medieval regime, has extended terrorism to its own soil.' Safavi emphasized, 'Do not forget that just recently, the Belgian government, by violating its own constitutional court ruling and disregarding the most basic principles and values of Europe and the rule of law, handed over a terrorist who intended to carry out a mass killing to the regime.' Protests by supporters of the MEK against the attack on the organization's headquarters in Albania have occurred. The 'Iranian Women' parliamentary group in the U.S. Congress stated that the people are demanding change. The 'British Committee for the Freedom of Iran' supported sanctions against Iranian officials. The U.S. State Department rejected support for the MEK, stating that it does not see this group as a representative of the Iranian people. Mike Pence stated at Ashraf 3 that renewing the nuclear agreement is not in the interest of the Iranian people. The 'Organization of Iranian Communities in America' held a protest in front of the White House, stating that a revolution in Iran is on the way. A cyberattack on the Islamic Republic's radio and television networks occurred with the slogan 'Death to Khamenei'; a media official stated it was 'extremely complex.' The Iranian Foreign Ministry protested the participation of the Slovenian Prime Minister in the MEK conference.