The British Committee for Iran Freedom (BCFIF) issued a press release on the recent comments by Iran’s judiciary chief Gholamhossein Mohseni Ejei revealing the regime’s plan to seek the arrest and extradition of members of the MEK.

The full text of the press release is as follows:

The British Committee for Iran Freedom denounces recent comments by Iran’s judiciary chief Gholamhossein Mohseni Ejei revealing regime’s plan to seek the arrest and extradition of members of the pro-democracy opposition, the People’s Mojahedin Organisation of Iran (PMOI/MEK), on bogus charges and baseless accusations.

Iranian authorities can not deceive the international community about the regime’s documented disregard for the rule of law and human life as it relies on domestic repression, terrorism and hostage-taking diplomacy to maintain power in face of growing public dissent and protests.

Ever since the UN Human Rights Council established the mandate of the UN Special Rapporteur on Iran in 2011, the UN General Assembly has adopted consecutive resolutions calling upon the judiciary in Iran to investigate serious cases of human rights violations and to prosecute those responsible.

In a clear defiance of these resolutions, the regime in Iran has for the last decade promoted the actual perpetrators to positions of power while announcing more made-up charges against the victims, especially the Iranian pro-democracy dissidents, activists and protesters.

In this regard, Ejei’s comments are nothing but a deliberate attempt to divert attention from the growing international demand to hold the regime and its leaders to account for decades of destabilising activities, terrorism and human rights abuses.

His comments should be dismissed outright as an insult to the international community, were it not for their subtle implications of possible acts of terrorism and espionage against pro-democracy Iranians in Europe.

The UK and its international partners must strongly condemn the regime for any measure that threatens our security and seeks to restrict the legal rights of Iranian dissidents abroad.

The Government must make it clear to senior officials and leaders in Iran that the UK is committed to deliver on its promise to hold the regime to account by leading the international community in securing an accountability process under existing UN mechanisms and by referring Tehran’s appalling human rights and terrorist records to the UN Security Council.

Tehran has no reason to oppose and obstruct the establishment of an international tribunal with the presence of the pro-democracy opposition, the PMOI/MEK, if the recent comments made by Iran’s judiciary chief are not lies intended to deceive the international community.

British Committee for Iran Freedom

18 August 2023