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“People's Mojahedin of Iran” - Mission Report |
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Sunday, 13 November 2005 |
 Introduction
On 18 May 2005, the US based Human Rights Watch issued a 28-page report
entitled ‘No Exit: Human Rights Abuses Inside the MKO Camps’. The
Report makes a series of serious allegations against Iran’s main
opposition movement, the People's Mojahedin Organisation of Iran.
This includes allegedly subjecting “…dissident members to torture and
prolonged solitary confinement” as well as alleging “…two cases of
death under interrogation”.
The report is based on 12 hours of telephone interviews with 12
individuals who claim to have been mistreated while they were in the
People’s Mojahedin Organisation of Iran’s camps in Iraq. One
witness claims to have been in solitary confinement for eight and a
half years. Four of the witnesses left the People’s Mojahedin
Organisation 13 years ago and since then, have had no connection with
the organisation. Eight of the witnesses went to Iran after
leaving the People’s Mojahedin Organisation of Iran, and then arrived
in Europe.
Rejecting calls by US congressmen and former officials, as well as
European parliamentarians to remove the People’s Mojahedin Organisation
of Iran from the list of terrorist organisations, Joe Stork of Human
Rights Watch said “The Iranian government has a dreadful record on
human rights,” “but it would be a huge mistake to promote an opposition
group that is responsible for serious human rights abuses.”
The report, prepared by a respected non-governmental organisation,
naturally caused alarm in international human rights circles, as well
as from Parliamentarians, lawyers, jurists and exiled Iranian
communities across the world.
Upon closer scrutiny of the report, dozens of political, legal and
human rights figures and organisations expressed concern about what
they described as the flawed methodology used by Human Writes Watch in
the preparation of the report, which according to them, made the
findings of the report unsafe. Further concerns were raised about the
unexpectedly political nature of the report, and in particular its de
facto political recommendation against removing the People’s Mojahedin
Organisation of Iran from terrorist lists.
Friends of a Free Iran, wrote to Human Rights Watch a number of times,
raising concerns about the methodology employed in preparing the
report, as well as requesting clarification on some of the specific
alleged incidents of rights abuses. Friends of a Free Iran did not
receive a response and thus decided to conduct its own investigation.
It also learned that Human Rights Watch did not respond to others,
including Lord Avebury who repeatedly requested a written response from
the organisation, to no avail.
Friends of a Free Iran Investigation
In order to conduct an impartial and thorough investigation into the
allegations of abuse made against the People’s Mojahedin Organisation
of Iran, and to investigate whether or not there was any evidence to
corroborate the allegations, Friends of a Free Iran conducted a 5 day
trip to Camp Ashraf, where the delegates randomly talked to over one
hundred residents and held private and lengthy interviews with 19
individuals who had specific knowledge of the Human Rights Watch
witnesses. In addition, the delegation was able to make unannounced
inspections of the alleged sites of abuse. Whilst at Camp Ashraf, the
delegation was provided unrestricted access to all residents and
locations.
Further, Friends of a Free Iran reviewed websites critical of the
People’s Mojahedin Organisation of Iran, which contained various
allegations against the organisation of varying degrees of seriousness,
as well other literature critical of the organisation. The National
Council of Resistance of Iran and People’s Mojahedin Organisation of
Iran’s official websites were also reviewed. Finally, Friends of a
Free Iran had access to previous correspondence between Lord Avebury,
then president of the British Parliamentary Human Rights Group and
Human Rights Watch, which provided the delegation with valuable
information.
Human Rights Watch Methodology
Human Rights Watch’s methodology in the preparation of the report was
widely criticised by human rights advocates, NGOs and political
dignitaries. In dozens of letters, they highlighted the specific flaws
in this regard.
The most common issues raised, were why Human Rights Watch failed to
allow the People’s Mojahedin Organisation of Iran the right to respond
to the allegations before the publication of the report. The People’s
Mojahedin had repeatedly invited Human Rights Watch to visit its bases
in Iraq but the organisation decided to publish its report without
taking advantage of the opportunity to conduct independent on site
investigations.
Human Rights Watch ignored available information, including
observations by independent sources and detailed responses to some of
the allegations by the National Council of Resistance of Iran or
People’s Mojahedin Organisation of Iran, to allegations raised by the
same individuals, or generally the Iranian regime. The organisation
was also questioned for ignoring information that queried the
credibility of its witnesses. This too was available.
Human Rights Watch chose not to seek the opinion of the US army and
coalition forces, who have been in charge of the safety and security of
Camp Ashraf, where People’s Mojahedin members reside. Since 2003,
several US agencies have interviewed and screened every member of the
People’s Mojahedin Organisation of Iran in Camp Ashraf and reached the
conclusion that none have links to terrorism nor have they been in
violation of US law.
Human Rights Watch Witnesses
Human Rights Watch has relied on 12 hours of telephone interviews with
12 individuals, who have already been exposed as having ties to Iran's
Ministry of Intelligence. It is widely believed that such a limited
investigation is insufficient to reach definitive conclusions about
allegations of such veracity. Indeed, a glance at various sites run by
these individuals and their associates, illustrate their active
involvement in a campaign against the People’s Mojahedin, which is
wieldy believed to be orchestrated by Iran's Ministry of Intelligence.
Furthermore, Friends of a Free Iran learned that Human Rights Watch had
failed to talk to hundreds of former members of the People’s Mojahedin
Organisation of Iran, who currently reside in Europe and present a
different picture of life in the Mojahedin Camps in Iraq. It is not
known how the 12 witnesses were selected. Human Rights Watch has been
asked to clarify this, but has failed to respond.
Substance of the Report
Friends of a Free Iran investigated the specific allegations raised in
the report. A very important case was the allegation that Mr.
Gorbanali Torabi was killed under torture during interrogations in
People’s Mojahedin camps. Mr. Torabi's wife and sister denied the
allegation and said he had died of a heart attack. They said Mr.
Torabi was a former political prisoner who suffered years of torture in
Iran, because of his support for the People’s Mojahedin.
Another case pursued by the delegation were allegations raised by
Mohammad Hossein Sobhani. He said he spent eight and half years in
solitary confinement. Friends of a Free Iran spoke in length with his
ex-wife. She denied that he had ever been jailed and provided the
delegation with information about his links with the Iranian regime,
through his brother. Friends of a Free Iran also obtained information
from other sources, including a letter from Massoud Mahmoudi who also
suggested that Sobhani is an agent of the Iranian regime. Mr. Mahmoudi
was in contact with agents of Iran's Ministry of Intelligence in Europe
for seven years. The credibility of Mr. Sobhani's claim was further
undermined by inconsistencies in his own statements to Human Rights
Watch and others.
Friends of a Free Iran were also able to look into specific allegations
made by Mohammad Reza Eskandari and his wife Tahereh Eskandari
(Khorami). They claim to have been imprisoned by the People’s
Mojahedin. The delegation spoke to Leila Ghanbari, the ex-wife of
another HRW witness, Habib Khorrami and the sister in law of the
Eskandari’s. She revealed to Friends of a Free Iran that they were
never jailed and in fact when they asked to leave, the organisation
made arrangements for them to go to the UN monitored camp Al-Tash in
Iraq. Under pressure from her ex-husband, Leila Ghanbarie also left
the People’s Mojahedin Organisation of Iran, but soon decided to
return. She witnessed in Al-Tash camp agents of the Iranian regime
actively trying to recruit former members of the People’s Mojahedin
Organisation of Iran. The People’s Mojahedin also provided the
delegation with undeniable evidence, including correspondence by the
Eskandari family and Habib Khorrami, requesting that the People’s
Mojahedin let them stay in the organisations exit facility, whilst
assisting them financially to leave Iraq for Europe. This
correspondence relates to a time after they had left the organisation,
thus any claims that the letters were written under pressure from the
People’s Mojahedin Organisation of Iran is simply invalid.
Regarding the death of Mr. Ahmadi under torture, Friends of a Free Iran
talked to a People’s Mojahedin official who explained how Mr. Ahmadi
was killed in a mission by the Iranian regime. His account was
confirmed by correspondence between the National Council of Resistance
of Iran with Amnesty International several years ago regarding the
death of a number of People’s Mojahedin members, including Parviz
Ahmadi, through infiltrators. While this may not be considered
concrete evidence, in the absence of evidence to support the
allegation, this would suggest the allegation should be dismissed.
In the course of Friends of a Free Iran’s trip to Camp Ashraf, the
delegation found the internal relations within the People’s Mojahedin
very different to that portrayed by Human Rights Watch. Friends of a
Free Iran came to the conclusion that Camp Ashraf residents are
resolute individuals, who voluntarily choose to be there, committed to
establishing freedom and democracy in their country.
The Political Context
Friends of a Free Iran’s research, revealed the People’s Mojahedin
Organisation of Iran have for many years, been the subject of an
extensive misinformation campaign orchestrated by the Iranian regime.
The delegation came across several cases of alleged human rights
violations by the People’s Mojahedin Organisation of Iran, which were
later proved to be false.
Finally, Friends of a Free Iran believes there is sufficient evidence
to conclude that the Human Rights Watch report was politically
motivated. Far beyond the mandate of a human rights organisation, and
in tandem appeasement advocates, Human Rights Watch lashed out at
Iran's main opposition, tacitly recommending that the group should not
be removed from the terrorist list.
Firstly, it is wholly inappropriate for a human rights NGO to become a
party to a political dispute and lobby in defence of a particular
policy under the pretext of human rights.
Secondly, as Human Rights Watch’s recommendation is a political one,
Friends of a Free Iran disagrees with the Human Rights Watch
recommendation and believes the People’s Mojahedin Organisation of Iran
must be removed from the terror list.
Recent developments in Iran leave little doubt that the policy of
appeasement has failed. The time has come to end this failed policy.
Continuing with the policy of appeasement is a recipe for disaster as
far as the Iranian people and the international community is concerned. |
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