Rally of the People's Mujahedin Organization with the Presence of Several Political Figures from the U.S. and Around the World

Several American and international political figures attended the annual rally of the People's Mujahedin Organization on July 1st in Paris. In this meeting, Maryam Rajavi, the leader of the People's Mujahedin Organization, called on the international community to recognize this council as the "legitimate voice and representative of the people of Iran." Ms. Rajavi also demanded an end to what she termed the "policy of weakness" towards the Iranian government and urged for a "strong strategy" to stand alongside the "main demand of the people of Iran," which she stated is "regime change." Newt Gingrich, former Speaker of the U.S. House of Representatives from the Republican Party, Joseph Lieberman, a Democratic politician, and Rudy Giuliani, former Mayor of New York, were among the participants at the rally. Rudy Giuliani, who is considered close to Donald Trump, stated in his speech, "You, I, my government, and your administration all see Iran in exactly the same way: this evil regime must go." Newt Gingrich, another figure close to Mr. Trump, said that "the Iranian regime responds to all criticism with imprisonment and death and believes that justice means no one can run for election." Joseph Lieberman also stated that since the 1979 revolution, Tehran has been the "capital of terrorism and extremist ideas" and that "the Iranian regime must be removed." In a statement released prior to the conference, signed by several officials from European, American, and Middle Eastern countries, it was stated: "We believe that change [of the Iranian regime] is possible. Not only because the regime is engulfed in crisis but because a large and expanding movement for positive change is being organized." The statement referred to the People's Mujahedin Organization as a "reliable organization" capable of ending the "religious dictatorship" in Iran and that it has "clearly attracted global opinion and public support." Maryam Rajavi, the main speaker at this conference, also referred to the activities of the People's Mujahedin Organization and other opposition groups outside Iran, stating, "Our people demand a constitution based on freedom, democracy, and equality. Now is the time for the international community to respect the demands of the Iranian people." The National Council of Resistance is the political umbrella of the People's Mujahedin Organization and smaller groups allied with it. This organization fought against the Islamic Republic of Iran in Iraq for nearly two decades, including during the Iran-Iraq war, and was disarmed after the U.S. invasion of Iraq and the fall of Saddam Hussein. The Islamic Republic of Iran considers the People's Mujahedin Organization a "terrorist group" that has targeted and killed civilians in its operations. The organization claims its goal is "democracy and freedom for the future of Iran." Many of its supporters were executed without trial during the political purges of the 1980s. The European Union placed the People's Mujahedin Organization on its list of "terrorist groups" in 2002 based on actions taken after the September 11, 2001 attacks. The organization has accused the EU of keeping it on the terrorist list to stop Iran's nuclear program and to "appease Tehran." In February 2009, EU members removed the People's Mujahedin Organization from the terrorist list. This group was placed on the U.S. terrorist list in 1997 after allegations related to the "killing" of six American citizens before the 1979 revolution and "attempting to attack" the Iranian diplomatic mission at the UN in 1992. In October 2012, the U.S. State Department announced that "under the law, the name of the People's Mujahedin Organization has been removed from the list of foreign terrorist organizations (FTO)." On Saturday, the Iranian Foreign Ministry reacted to the annual meeting of the People's Mujahedin Organization in Paris, calling the group's activities "a point of ambiguity in relations" between Iran and France, and Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif expressed regret over this issue. Mr. Zarif also accused Saudi Arabia of having "cooperated" with the People's Mujahedin Organization during the Iran-Iraq war and providing them with financial "aid," and stated that since last year they have "decided to publicly announce this cooperation and participate in their meetings." In the recent conference, like last year, Turki al-Faisal, the former head of Saudi intelligence, was also present and spoke. Remaining members of the People's Mujahedin Organization in Iraq were transferred to Albania, where in April 2017, Senator John McCain visited one of their centers, which faced objections from the Iranian Foreign Ministry.