July 5, 2022 An open letter to Mike Pence from former members of the M.E.K. Dear Mr. Pence, When you visited Camp Ashraf 3 in Albania on June 23, 2022 (the headquarters of the Mojahedin Khalq organization—M.E.K.) you referred to Maryam Rajavi as the leader of a “democratic alternative” and said: “There is an opposition led by Ms. Maryam Rajavi. Ms Rajavi has a 10-point plan for Iran’s future. There is opposition to the regime as well as an alternative known as the Mojahedin Khalq organization. The ten-point plan of Ms. Maryam Rajavi ensures freedom for all Iranians.” This sentiment and your evaluation of Rajavi is entirely false. Surely, as the former vice president, you are aware of the realities within the M.E.K. and that what you have said is untrue. The M.E.K. is by no means a democratic organization nor can it guarantee the freedom of the Iranian people. As evidence, we submit to you a formal introduction. We are a group of dissidents from the M.E.K. organization who were once supporters, members and companions of this organization for many years. Some of us spent a few years with the organization, others of us as much as 36 years time. Some of the signatories of this letter have a long history of imprisonment in various prisons and torture at the hands of the Islamic Republic of Iran. We joined the Mojahedin as teenagers, mostly, and we joined to fight for democratic change in Iran against the Islamic Republic. We had ideals of democratic progress, human rights, rule of law, social justice, and the welfare of the Iranian people. Today we have expanded these commitments to pluralism, secularism, and separation of church and state. Although each of us left the organization for different reasons, we all remain committed to the fight against the Islamic Republic. Contrary to its claims and slogans, we have learned from practical experience and long tenures within the M.E.K. that it is not a democratic but rather a totalitarian organization with an isolationist ideology. Effectively, the Mojahedin’s ideological leadership is the same as “Valayat-e Fagih” in the Islamic Republic. Any criticism of the leadership of the Mojahedin is absolutely prohibited within the organization. Freedom of opinion, thought, and expression have no meaning in the M.E.K. and instead is punished with “organizational punishment.” The Mojahedin not only punishes its current members but even once separated from the organization, the Mojahedin targets dissenters with character assassination campaigns and death threats. Still, we want you to acknowledge the crimes committed by this organization and its leadership. Some of these crimes additionally include the sanctification of Massoud and Maryam Rajavi, spreading isolationist ideology and celebrating terrorism, psychological abuse of members, family separations, forced conscription of child soldiers, gender segregation, sexual humiliation, blackmail, imprisonment and torture of members and dissenters, predation, and deprivation of basic liberal rights. As many of these crimes as we can list more still are occuring under the leadership of Massoud and Maryam Rajavi. And yet, you have praised Maryam Rajavi many times in your various speeches. For instance, in your speech in January 2021 in Washington at a gathering of M.E.K. supporters, you said: “Ms. Rajavi inspires the world. Her ten-point plan for Iran’s future will ensure freedom of expression, as well as freedom of assembly and freedom for any Iranian who can choose their own leaders.” We want to ask, which world are you talking about? How can you possibly consider Maryam Rajavi the inspiration and forerunner of democracy for Iran? Rajavi has failed her organization, failed to abide democratic conduct, and failed its members and dissenters. She cannot be a harbinger of freedom and democracy for Iranians. Her guarantee is worthless. The 43-year record of the Mojahedin speaks volumes to its dangerous totalitarian policies and repeated human rights violations. Over time, the M.E.K. has also lost its popularity among the Iranian people. Your own Elizabeth Stickney, the Persian-speaking spokeswoman for the US State Department, said in an interview with Deutsche Welle– Persian Radio in 2018 about the popular base of the Mojahedin organization: “The actions and speeches of some American politicians are not the official policy of this country, and the M.E.K. organization of Iran has no place among the Iranian people.” Yet in that same January 2021 speech, you said: “I am talking about tens of millions of Americans, I speak of both parties and every political philosophy, …. while the regime says there is no alternative, there is an alternative and it is well prepared. It has all the competencies and support of the people.” We are not naive about the self-interested motivations of both the Republican and Democratic parties, but we are nonetheless surprised by your failure to grasp the realities of Iranian popular beliefs about the M.E.K. We, the signatories of this letter, are eager to meet with you or your representative to rectify these claims and to share with you our personal experiences in the M.E.K. Signatories Related resources and content: - Mr. Mike Pence’s meeting with Mrs. Maryam Rajavi in Ashraf 3
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