The 30th session of the trial addressing the crimes of the terrorist group Mujahedin-e Khalq (MEK) prominently featured harrowing accounts of child soldiers and their bleak, suffering-filled lives.
The clock had just passed 8:30 AM, marking the start of the hearing. Latecomers hurried into Tehran’s Imam Khomeini Judicial Complex as proceedings began. Like previous sessions, this final hearing of the year 2024 drew significant media attention, with attendees listening intently as a dark chapter of Iran’s history was revisited.
At 8:50 AM, the session officially commenced in Branch 11 of Tehran’s Criminal Court, presided over by Judge Hojjatoleslam Amirreza Dehghani, alongside advisers Mortaza Turak and Amin Naseri. Present were the prosecutor’s representative, families of martyrs, their lawyers, and defense attorneys for the 104 accused MEK members as the court examined both individual charges and the group’s legal status as an entity.
A Silence Heavy with Attention
Hojjatoleslam Masoud Maddah, the plaintiffs’ attorney, opened by referencing pamphlets discovered in MEK safe houses during the 1980s. He highlighted the cross-examination of a defected MEK member, Masoud Khodabandeh, who testified as a witness. The defense had questioned whether all 106 defendants were central leaders or operational commanders. Witnesses confirmed that roles within the MEK were fluid—members rotated as torturers, combatants, or recruiters.
Maddah’s arguments, backed by documented evidence of the MEK’s crimes, left the courtroom in tense silence. He countered defense claims by asserting that mere membership in a criminal organization constituted guilt, even without direct violence—a stance supported by jurists. Maddah posed two key questions:
- If the MEK had truly reformed, why hadn’t it surrendered those involved in assassinations and torture to international courts?
- Why did its websites still promote rebellion under labels like "Rebel Cells "?
From Begging to Fraud: All the Ways the MEK Funds Its Operations
Various reports and investigations have explored the financial sources of the Mujahedin-e Khalq (MEK), pointing to the group’s obscure and non-transparent funding. These murky finances stem from the inherently secretive nature of this terrorist organization.
This issue was also raised during the 30th trial session examining the charges against the MEK. In the session, Hojjatoleslam Maddah stated that the MEK uses several methods to raise funds—one of which is fraud and theft. He explained, “The organization presents itself as a political group and resorts to panhandling from citizens in European countries.”
He went on to say that one of the MEK’s primary strategies for financing is establishing NGOs in countries such as the UK, Germany, France, and the U.S., which they use for both funding and money laundering purposes. These so-called NGOs include the Scholars for a Free Iran Society, the French Committee for a Democratic Iran, the French-Iranian Association for Iranian Democracy, the Free Iran Youth Association, the Families of Ashraf Residents Association, and the Political Refugees Association.
Maddah emphasized that the MEK has been officially designated a terrorist group by Iran’s Supreme National Security Council. “According to the anti-terror financing law, I request the court to prosecute these institutions,” he added. He argued that these associations have openly declared their support for the MEK, and witnesses have confirmed this in court.
In the continuation of the session, a number of MEK former members shared their experiences about how the MEK collected money for the operations.