The clerical regime, failing to deal with the nationwide uprising and in fear of growing popular support for the Resistance Units, has been arresting former political prisoners and supporters and families of the PMOI/MEK by conjuring up all kinds of stories in a bid to raise the morale of its demoralized forces.
On Monday, January 9, the state-run media quoting Semnan Governor Mohammad Reza Hashemi wrote: “In a large-scale intelligence operation, the organized core and intelligence organization of the MEK comprised of five people were identified and arrested in Semnan province. One of the tasks of this organized team was to provide financial support to MEK contacts as well as the Resistance Units involved in the recent riots… The second important task of the team was to make various explosive devices by preparing chemical and acidic materials and testing them in the deserts of the province. The third task was to prepare ‘explosive devices’ for harmful actions in neighboring provinces, specifically in Qom and Tehran bazaars.” The terrorist Quds Force news agency added: “Another task of the team was ‘writing graffiti and taking films and photos from strikes, especially the bazaar merchant strikes,’” and “very large quantities of explosives, various types of digital devices and cameras were discovered and confiscated from this organized team of the MEK.”
On January 3, the IRGC-affiliated news agency quoted the Acting Governor of Garmsar, Reza Khani, as saying: “Two intelligence, financial and operational cells related to the MEK have been arrested in this city thanks to the round-the-clock efforts of the Ministry of Intelligence agents… They planned to conduct explosive and harmful actions in some sensitive areas. Khani said that these individuals intended to train production and manufacture of explosives, and the preparation and manufacture of homemade weapons and writing graffiti were among the other actions of these groups.”
The Iranian Resistance once again demands the presence of lawyers of the MEK and the National Council of Resistance of Iran (NCRI) and the parliamentary committees of Iran Freedom in various countries in the trial of the arrested individuals and thousands of other prisoners who, according to the announcement of the 6th day of the social headquarters of the Mujahideen, were arrested inside the country in the first 100 days of the uprising in connection with the MEK in accordance with the statement of the Social Headquarters of the MEK inside Iran on December 27, 2022.
Secretariat of the National Council of Resistance of Iran (NCRI)
January 10, 2023