Proscribed Terrorist Group MKO to appoint new military head based in Paris

The proscribed terrorist organization, Mojahedin-e Khalq, which is currently under the protection of the US army in Iraq, has removed its military head and appointed a new commander from Saddam's Private Army in Paris to head the group.

On 9^th August 2005, Mr. Massoud Khodabandeh published an appeal under the title 'Charged with Treason by Rajavi: Plea to Save the Life of Ms. Mojgan Parsai'.

 This was an open letter to  Professor Raymond Tanter, Co-chair of the Iran Policy Committee which was founded by the Mojahedin-e Khalq Organisation (MKO or MEK) in the USA to lobby government. The news of Mojgan Parsai's demotion and subsequent disappearance had already been published from various sources, including Awaa Association, an Iranian opposition organisation in Germany. Mojgan Parsai had previously been appointed by Rajavi as the 'First Responsible of the Mojahedin-e Khalq organisation.

On 17^th August 2005, the Mojahedin issued an immaterial announcement using the name of Mojgan Parsai in order to refute the news. This only brought more suspicion as to the actual whereabouts Ms. Parsai, and many organisations expressed serious concern including Iran Interlink which issued a statement under the title 'Update on pleas to save the life of Mojgan Parsai'.

On 19^th August 2005 news filtered out that the Mojahedin were about to replace Mojgan Parsai with one of its military commanders from the time they were helping Saddam Hussein to massacre Iraqi Kurds and Shiites in March 1991. Again, Iran Interlink among others, announced their serious concern about Ms. Parsai, and issued statements and appeals.

Today, 23^rd August 2005, the Mojahedin-e Khalq Organisation (listed as a terrorist organisation in the USA, Canada, EU and UK) has issued a public statement from its headquarters in France confirming this replacement.

We express our utmost astonishment that this supposedly proscribed terrorist organisation has openly and officially announced the replacement of its military head Mojgan Parsai (who is currently under the protection of the American army in Iraq but who has not been seen or heard from since her demotion), by Zahra Merikhi, who has been active in Paris since her escape from Iraq during the fall of Saddam in March 2003.

We are also alarmed to find that by this replacement, the terrorist Mojahedin-e Khalq Organisation has now moved its headquarters from Camp Ashraf in Iraq to the place of residence of Maryam Rajavi in Auvers sur Oise in the suburbs of Paris.

While we remain concerned about the safety and wellbeing of the former appointed head, Ms. Mojgan Parsai, we urge the European Union and the US government to treat this proscribed organisation as they treat other terrorist organisations and persons. The neglect in dealing with this behaviour inside a country anywhere in the free world could not be more damaging to the seriousness of eliminating terrorism across the globe. Surely the world is watching the authorities of western countries to see their response to the open and public announcement of the new appointment of a military head of a terrorist organization inside a western country.