TIRANA, Aug. 10 – Hundreds of members of an Iranian opposition group known as Mujahedin e Khalq (MEK) have been accommodated in Tirana in the past few weeks as part of Albania’s commitment to host another 2,000 members of the dissident group who has supported the U.S in military operations in the Middle East and in its fight against terrorism.
The mujahedeen, whom Iran considers terrorists, are being accommodated in Albania as part of United States efforts to find them new homes outside of Iraq, where they are currently stationed at a U.S-backed camp.
Albania, who has already provided shelter to about 1,000 MEK members in the past couple of years, committed to accommodate another 2,000 during last February’s visit of U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry to Albania, sparking anger by Iran which claimed “Kerry is bringing terrorists to Albania” and that “the organization is trying to build its terrorist nest in the country” .
Another 700 mujahedeen are expected to arrive in Albania in the next few weeks. Some 1.200 MEK members have already been accommodated by the UN Refugee Agency in two apartment blocks in Tirana’s new ring road.
While the arrival of the mujahedeen has sparked some security concerns, the Albanian government has guaranteed “it has taken no step that threatens the security of Albanian citizens.”
The mujahedeen are initially registered as asylum seekers while their documents are processed and the right to permanent residency is finally granted.
Mujahedin e Khalq members are opponents of Iran’s regime. Following the Islamic revolution of 1979, MEK supported Saddam Hussein in the 80’s war between Iraq and Iran.
The group had been on the list of terrorist organizations for several years by the United States until it was finally removed from the list in 2012.
