Vavak/ MOIS Agents

The campaign of dissemination of lies against the People's Mojahedin Organization of Iran (PMOI/MEK), and especially Ashraf and Liberty residents, is a considered key tool for the Iranian regime to justify its attacks against its main opposition. This campaign is specifically designed and plotted by the Iranian regime’s Ministry of Intelligence (VEVAK/MOIS) to influence Western governments, especially the United States, along with international organizations including the United Nations, UNAMI and the UNHCR. Of course, this campaign is normally pursued not directly by the Iranian regime itself, but by its lobbies and Tehran’s indirect elements that enjoy vast financial resources, and individuals who used to be in Ashraf and Liberty and are now hired by the Iranian regime’s MOIS. The Iranian regime’s lobby acts so skillfully in this regard that even various UNAMI reports have mentioned that the Camp Liberty leadership is preventing the residents’ freedom of movement, whereas UNAMI monitors are visiting Camp Liberty on a daily basis and they are observing that it is the Government of Iraq depriving the residents from freedom of movement, not the Camp leadership. Each day no more than a few patients or sewage trucks drivers are allowed out of the camp, and it has been nearly 4 years since the residents have been living under illegal detention conditions. The Iranian regime deceitfully depicts an image as if Liberty residents and their leadership are two separate issues, and the residents are constantly under pressure imposed by the leadership, and the residents don’t enjoy freedom of movement and are under physical/psychological pressure from the PMOI leadership. This lie has been fabricated for the sole purpose of legitimizing the Iraqi forces’ military intervention and repressive measures. This is a known tactic used frequently by the Iranian regime. It is worth noting that following the July 2009 attack on Ashraf that left 11 residents killed and over 500 others injured, former Iraqi Prime Minister Nouri al Maliki sought to justify the attack by saying his forces intended to simply establish a police station inside Ashraf: “The purpose of having a police station is that some of these people in the camp want to return to Iran, or travel to any country in the world, but the organization and organization leadership are preventing them from doing so. Some of the residents are seeking amnesty and a return to Iran, but they don’t allow them… this is why we wanted to establish a police station there.” The Iranian regime profits most from those who introduce themselves as former PMOI members. The false nature of these individuals’ remarks and arguments against the PMOI, Ashraf and Liberty has been proven time and again. For example, the Iranian regime intended to file a case against the PMOI citing the remarks and arguments of such individual in Germany. However, after receiving the testimony of these individuals regarding the PMOI and the activities of their supporters, the Germany’s prosecutor office in 1998 reached a conclusion that these sources are not reliable, and therefore closed the court case. Another more vivid example is an investigative court file launched in France as a result of a political deal between France and the Iranian regime back in 2003. To this end many PMOI and NCRI members were arrested due to this fabricated court case. Individuals recruited by the Iranian regime testified against the PMOI in this court case many before the investigate judge. However, after probing for 10 years, investigative judges in May 2011 declared the charges of terrorism and financial aid to terrorists – on which “former members” had testified about – were dropped and announced baseless. This case, too, was closed for good. In yet another step, Pentagon officials in December 2012 published a joint report with the US Library of Congress on Iran’s MOIS and its actions in various countries. This documentary report presents an in-depth review and facts emphasizing on how the MOIS recruits former PMOI members for psychological warfare and a campaign aimed at demonizing the PMOI. This report goes as far as naming a number of such MOIS recruits.