The 40th session of the trial of 104 members of the Mujahedin-e Khalq Organization (MEK) was held in Branch 11 of the Tehran Province Criminal Court. The plaintiffs' lawyer, Masoud Maddah, referring to the organization's extensive crimes, described Operation "Chehel-Cheragh" as a document of this group's cooperation with the Iraqi Ba'athist regime and one of the bloodiest crimes against the Iranian people. "In this operation, the MEK terrorist organization attacked the city of Mehran, took control of the city, and looted people's property. In this attack, more than eight thousand Iranians were martyred and about 1,500 were taken hostage." Maddah, stating that this group calls itself the "Liberation Army," emphasized that real liberation armies do not fight non-combatants and enjoy popular support, whereas the Iranian people chanted "Death to them" against the MEK.
The US Department of Justice and the UK Royal Courts of Justice have also confirmed the terrorist records of the MEK. Maddah listed the characteristics of terrorist groups from the perspective of international law and said these concepts are substantively aligned with the titles raised in Islamic jurisprudence and Iranian domestic law, such as "baghy" (rebellion), "moharebeh," and "efsad-fil-arz." "The legislator has defined 'efsad-fil-arz' to include 'extensive crimes against the physical integrity of individuals, crimes against internal and external security, and cases that cause severe disruption to public order or major damage to individuals or property.'" He asked the court to recognize the crimes of "efsad-fil-arz" and "moharebeh" for the group's leaders and issue appropriate sentences for them.
Ali Akrami, a former member of the organization, testified under oath that senior commanders of the Iraqi Ba'athist regime were present in meetings planning operations such as "Chehel-Cheragh" and "Aftab." "On June 17, 1988, Saddam Hussein's military aid in Operation Chehel-Cheragh appeared much more advanced and equipped than in the Aftab family." Akrami stated that Rajavi, in meetings with Iraqi officials, openly announced the role of presence in Iraq and cooperation with Saddam. The representative of the Islamic Republic of Iran Army, referring to Operation Chehel-Cheragh, said this operation was carried out with the support and equipment of the Iraqi Ba'athist regime and its goal was to capture the city of Mehran. "In the mentioned operation, carried out by Iraqi armored and infantry brigades and the MEK, the positions of the 16th Qazvin Armored Division, the 11th Amir al-Momenin Division, and the IRGC in the general area of Mehran, spanning 50 km in length and 30 km in depth, came under heavy artillery fire from Iraq."