Albanian Prime Minister: We Do Not Want to Be the 'Battlefront' of the MEK and the Islamic Republic

The Prime Minister of Albania stated that if the Mujahedin-e Khalq (MEK) wants to fight against the Iranian government, it must leave the country. Edi Rama, in an interview with Spiegel, said that his country understands the MEK's anger towards the Iranian government and that the MEK has the right to fight for its freedom, but Albania does not want to become a battleground for this war. According to Edi Rama, the MEK has violated initial agreements and has conducted cyber attacks against the Iranian government from Albanian soil. At the end of Khordad (June), Albanian police, under the order of the country's prosecutor's office, entered Camp Ashraf 3, leading to clashes between the camp's residents and police forces. The Albanian Daily News reported that police were controlling all vehicles leaving the camp, although the reason for the police action was not mentioned. Earlier, on the 30th of Khordad, hundreds of Albanian police, based on an order from the special prosecutor's office, entered the base for what was termed a 'search.' According to the Albanian section of Voice of America, the operation aimed to thoroughly inspect all internal spaces and offices. The report states that the order for these inspections was based on suspicions of organized cyber attacks against other countries. Meanwhile, according to a statement from the National Council of Resistance of Iran, as a result of this operation, Ali Moshtashari, a member of the MEK, was killed, and over 100 others were injured due to pepper spray. In this context, the Albanian Ministry of Interior accused the MEK of violating the agreement regarding the settlement of its members in the country. According to this ministry, '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.' In this regard, a spokesperson for the U.S. State Department stated on the same day, following the police operation, that it appears the entry of Albanian police into the Ashraf camp was to execute a court order, and the Albanian police assured the U.S. that they acted in accordance with the law.