MEK Role in Iran November Uprising
The mullahs’ regime press outlets have
paid special attention to the role played by the MEK during the November
protests in Iran. They point specifically to the role played by the MEK
resistance units, formed and elaborated, according to the regime, after
the 2017 uprising and playing a major role in the November uprising in
2019.
In fact, the organized nature of 2019 protests compared to those of 2017-2018 has been a result of MEK’s resistance units' active role,
helping to organize and lead protests in no less than 191 cities in the
country. MEK units contributed to safeguarding protesters from
countermeasures undertaken by the regime’s repressive forces, and
especially played an active role in the diffusion of the uprising news
through MEK news outlets.
A brief review of a number of news items
and articles published by the regime’s media can be useful for a better
understanding of the ongoing situation:
Supreme Leader’s official website-17 November 2019
Blaming the MEK/PMOI for protests
In the past two days, that is two nights
and a day that followed this affair, almost all hooligan centers in the
world encouraged these acts against us, extending from despised and
evil family of Pahlavi (the deposed Shah) to a collection of evil and
criminal MEK. They are continuously encouraging these kinds of hooliganisms in social media and other places…”
ILNA state-run news agency-17 November 2019
Assadollah Abbasi, Spokesman of the
Presidium of the Islamic Consultative Assembly commented on the remarks
made by the Secretary of the Supreme National Security Council in the
closed session of the Assembly and said: Ali Shamkhani told the closed
session of the Assembly that a number of people who provoked people on
the streets have been identified. It was determined that they were
linked to the MEK. They were among local hooligans and were paid to
foment unrest.
Shohadaye Iran website-17 November 2019
Wise people of Iran would not join the MEK
Parliamentary deputy representing
Malayer told Majlis (Parliament): Although people may be angry with some
of the decisions, our people with a basic understanding, alertness, and
wisdom would never join the network of counter-revolutionaries and the
MEK. This will never happen… The Islamic Republic that has managed to
establish lasting security in Iraq and Syria would never be troubled by
the activities of the MEK… People of Iran who remember sacrifices and …
would never allow the blood of martyrs to be trampled on and would
continue supporting them. Therefore, they would never join the MEK and
hooligans.
Fars state-run news agency-17 November 2019
Instructions coming from counter-revolutionaries and MEK in recent events
Hossein Ashtari, Commander of the State
Security Forces said: Our investigations indicate that instruction
coming from counter-revolutionary and MEK organizations was the cause of
these events. The country’s security and police institutions will identify these individuals and God willing they will be punished for their practices at the right time.
Jahed Khabar website-17 November 2019
People must be on alert not to get involved with the MEK and monarchists
A security source said: People gathered
at a location in the city of Rasht to follow up living problems and
gasoline price rise but among the innocent people some known individuals
from the MEK and monarchists infiltrated and caused unrest…
Tabnak website -18 November 2019
MEK members among hooligans
Commander Gholamreza Soleimani, head of
Basij-e Mostazafin Organization (a paramilitary force) told a press
conference: On Saturday evening troubles were caused by centers of
hooliganism and rubbers of people’s property but, once again, the plots
by the US failed. They planned to carry out this project in 2018 but did
not succeed. The MEK has cells in our country and in other countries,
some mercenaries and the US affiliated MEK inflict blows to the
interests of nations.
He emphasized: Of course, all these measures failed in the face of people’s alertness and our people did not cooperate with these individuals and groups. The main elements of these activities have been identified and arrested.
Farhang Radio-18 November 2019
Ali Larijani, Majlis (parliament)
spokesman: … Honorable representatives of people in Majlis, after
hearing remarks by His Highness (Khamenei), found it crucial to follow
his instructions and look seriously into people’s concerns in the area
of economic problems and with greater unity would not allow unrests to
be created by the US and its lackeys, the MEK and the
counter-revolutionaries…
Defense Press-18 November 2019
Ayatollah Mohammad Mohammadi Reyshahri,
member of Council of Experts, former Minister of Intelligence: Recent
disturbances were not caused by people. Setting fire on people’s
property and causing destructions were the work of the MEK and the
counter-revolutionaries. People would not set fire to their own
properties… the MEK had been planning to cause unrest since several
months ago but they were identified very quickly and isolated from the
people.
Resalat daily - 19 November 2019
Resalat investigates the role of the MEK in recent unrests
Enemies of the revolution take advantage of any opportunity to destroy the country and harm the people. Maryam
Rajavi, leader of the MEK, and the White House supported the unrest in their statements…
A member of the State Expediency Council told Resalat: No one in Iran would heed remarks by Rajavi and people like her.
Former Minister of Culture and Islamic
Guidance, Seyyed Mohammad Hosseini, told Resalat: Some took advantage of people’s protests and damaged public property. These people are obviously supported by Maryam Rajavi, monarchists and the US… people must keep a distance from these hooligans.
Majid Ansari, member of the State Expediency Council told Resalat: The MEK is always trying to close any opportunity where people of Iran may have some peace by resorting to sanctions through the US. In other words, the MEK is trying day and night to bring the Islamic Republic to its knees and does not let up even a moment… People, as in the past,
must be on alert and do not let the MEK take advantage of the atmosphere
of peaceful protests.
Aladdin Boroujerdi, member of the
National Security Committee of the Majlis believes: Recent statements by
Maryam Rajavi and the White House are only the repeats of the same
dreams they had in seditions of 1999 and 2009. Dreams that will never
come true… These politically bankrupt forces, especially the despised
MEK organization serving as the lackey of the US in the region, have
been betraying the great nation of Iran for decades, but it must be said
that they are not going to benefit in any way from the recent
developments and disturbances in the country… I advise the youths and
youngsters not to be deceived by the guided hooligans and allow the
national interests to remain protected.
Entekhab state-run website-19 November 2019
Abbas Ali Mohammadian, Commander of
Alborz (province) Security Forces said: In recent days, with the efforts
of all security forces in the province, a large number of rioters who
destroyed public and private properties have been arrested. Our
investigations indicate that instructions for these incidents came from
counter-revolutionary and MEK organizations.
IRNA state-run news agency-19 November 2019
Fajr IRGC Commander in Fars province,
Seyyed Hashem Ghiasi said: In interrogations conducted on leaders of
hooligans affiliated with the MEK it was determined that among their
main objectives were to cause insecurity within the society, harm people
attending the protests and instigate discontent and disrupt people’s
normal life…
ANA news agency- 20 November 2019
How do “urban terrorists” of the MEK operate?
With the presence of young women and heavily built men in riots; how do the “urban terrorist” teams of the MEK operate?
The type and methods of operations in
recent riots in the country show that these activities are guided by
urban terrorism of the MEK organization.
There are a lot of similarities between the recent riots and the operations conducted by the MEK in years passed. Destructions and riots in recent days also resembled the security formation of the MEK organization.
Creating small cells to carry out terror operations and set fire [to
premises] and then engagement of the second layer of operation using
women to touch public feelings that were removed by actions of the
security and police forces. The MEK also uses women to excite crowd and
chant anti-regime slogans.
The field assessment shows that some
heavily built and young individuals were leaders of the recent riots
accompanying small teams and acting like insurgents, using handmade
weapons set fire and destroy public properties to cause fear and terror.
This is contrary to the riots of January 2018 where young girls led the
riot teams in the country.
Esmaili, the Judiciary Spokesman said: Among those arrested are some elements affiliated with the MEK and monarchists…
Fars news agency, 20 November 2019
Leaders of rioters captured by IRGC Intelligence
Commander Ramezan Sharif, deputy head of
IRGC Public Relations and Propaganda said: The monarchists and the
MEK, through a bunch of thugs and hooligans, disturb the security of the
society and damage public property and an American-Zionist-European
trend supports them financially and militarily.
He described the trend affiliated with the MEK as one that is hated by people and added: The MEK Organization killed more than 17000 people in the early days of the revolution, including some officials, in a bid to create insecurity and fear.
Baran TV network, 20 November 2019
“We know you are the children of those executed from the Monafeqin”
Felahati, Khamenei’s representative in
Gilan province, north of Iran, said: We know that you (rioters) are the
children of those executed from the MEK, you are the children of the MEK
driven from their homes… we know you well… do not go after your
unfortunate ancestors. Repent and give in… The main cells of the
sedition of the arrogance (The US) are the MEK and the monarchists and
the Judiciary must act firmly and hand in the maximum punishment to the
main elements involved in the recent riots, which has disturbed people’s
peace.
Mehr news agency- 21 November 2019
Shamkhani: All rioters will be punished one by one
Admiral Ali Shamkhani, Secretary of the
Supreme National Security Council, in an interview with Mehr news agency
emphasized that MEK, thugs, monarchists, and hooligans will never be
able to have any influence on the Iranian people’s determination to
reach their objective and added: The enemies intend to take advantage of
Iranian people’s protest in connection with their living conditions…
Every single rioter, wherever they might be in Iran, would be identified
and punished for their acts.
State-run news agencies-22 November 2019
Remarks by Tehran’s Friday prayer leader
Seyyed Ahmad Khatami, Tehran’s Friday
Prayer leader and Khamenei’s representative made the following remarks
about the nationwide uprising following gasoline price rise:
I thank the Ministry of Intelligence and
Security, the Intelligence Organization of the IRGC, the paramilitary
Bassij force and the State Security Force who confronted the hooligans… I
call on people to identify the hooligans and not to have the slightest compassion towards them and hand them over to the authorities… In light of the extensive plan that the hooligans had, they must be chased house to house and hand over to the authorities… They have inflicted thousands of billions of Towmans (billions of dollars) of damages… they are enemies of God and must receive the maximum punishment (death according to the regime’s law and Khomeini’s decree)… the MEK must be treated as at the beginning of the revolution as they were wiped out…
One of the admirable measures adopted during this period was to cut off the internet and international networks… I advise them not to reconnect the internet in view of recent days' experience…
Fars News agency-Friday, 22 November 2019
Remarks by some Friday prayer leaders
Kazem Fatah Damavandi, Friday prayer in Damavand, northern Iran: The authorities who caused such major damage to the country must be held accountable. People on Saturday were protesting peacefully, but from Saturday afternoon some organized elements who were guided by the MEK came to the scene…
Mehrab Banafi at Borazjan: Those who protested in recent days against gasoline price rise should not have damaged public property. They even fired on the Basij paramilitary force and State Security Force. No doubt that they were from the MEK…
Online website-22 November 2019
Statement by the Assembly of Experts on the recent unrest
While strongly warning the criminal US,
evil Israel, … that are supporting the MEK … as the elements causing riots in Iran in recent years… once again call on the government and the
Assembly of Islamic Council (the parliament) to prevent the cause of new economic problems and high prices … and also call on the security and the Judiciary apparatus to deal decisively with the elements causing these riots.
Jam-e Jam state-run TV- 24 November 2019
While blaming the forces outside Iran
for recent riots, a video clip about a meeting by the MEK delegation led
by Maryam Rajavi was shown and some of the interesting comments follow:
The incidents this time were different
from previous occasions and the rioters were more organized, had
networks and acted seriously more effectively…
A very good thing that was done in this
the round was cutting off the internet network. Although there was a lot of
criticism our security is more important because we saw on the very
first day (of riots) momentary reports in the social media about the
things happening that affected the public opinion and caused excitement
and encouraged people to join…
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