TIRANA, June 21, 2023 – Albanian police forces conducted Tuesday a large operation at the compound of an exiled Iranian opposition group, MEK, as part of an investigation into the group’s alleged activities into cyberattacks and other activities that go against the humanitarian shelter agreement it has with Albania, facilitated in 2014 by the United States and the United Nations.
The group’s large compound, Camp Ashraf 3, in Manza, Durrës County, faced a large number of police officers who went to execute a search warrant by the Special Prosecutor’s Office against Organized Crime and Corruption (SPAK). Members of the organization accused the police of using violence, reporting at least one death and dozens of injuries. The police denied they had used violence, although they said officers used their personal small pepper spray canisters as they faced resistance trying to conduct the search. Police said several officers suffered injuries.
An elderly MEK member died during the raid, and police said they are waiting for the official doctor’s report on the case, however police denied it was responsible, with early reports noting that he died of a heart attack after being pepper sprayed by police.
-Albanian authorities assert control-
Albanian authorities seized a large number of computers and servers as they searched the premises of the compound, which is home to nearly 3,000 Iranian exiles. Authorities said the court issued a search warrant following suspicions of the preparation of cyberattacks against other countries.
The Ministry of the Interior explained that “the Court’s decision is a consequence of actions that clearly contradict the agreement and commitments made by the mujahedin group, since 2014, when they settled in Albania only for humanitarian purposes. Unfortunately, this group has not adhered to these commitments, breaking the agreement.”
According to the Ministry of the Interior, “inside the camp there was resistance to the State Police doing its job, which contradicts the procedural framework of law enforcement.”
MEK said in a statement that the police had used violence, tear gas and rubber batons. In the premises of the camp health center, there were several injured who were receiving first aid, local media reported, in addition to the body of one of the MEK members.
Interior Minister Bledi Çuçi said: “I guarantee that the death was not caused by any action of the police forces,” expressing his unhappiness “with the reaction of the members of the MEK organization toward the State Police during the action.”
“Albania has offered them everything related to their shelter for humanitarian purposes, has offered them assistance, security and protection against all threats coming from Iran’s secret services as well. The violence and their reaction to the actions of the State Police is unimaginable,” Çuçi said.
-U.S. supports actions of Albanian authorities-
The move from the Albanian police also comes as there is growing concern about MEK in the United States, which originally facilitated bringing the members of the group as refugees to Albania from their exile in Iraq, where their lives were in danger.
The U.S. State Department said it supported Albania’s police action.
“The State Police in Albania assured us that all actions were carried out in accordance with the laws in force, including the protection of the rights and freedoms of all persons in Albania. We support the right of the Government of Albania to investigate any possible illegal activity within its territory,” said a spokesperson of the US Department of State.
The spokesman also added that the United States does not consider the MEK a “sustainable democratic opposition movement representing the Iranian people,” and has “serious concerns about the MEK as an organization, including allegations of abuse against its members.”
-How events unfolded according to the police-
General Director of Police Muhamet Rrumbullaku explained that in the morning he had a meeting with the main leaders of the camp, explaining to them the decision of the court to conduct a search. He explained that within the compound that is spread over nearly 40 hectares, there are over 127 buildings that would have to be searched.
“After illegalities were found in relation to the requirements of the court’s decision, regarding the identification of server rooms, computer equipment in almost 17 objects, an organized resistance started, not allowing the execution of the court’s decision and confronting the police. After this moment, extreme restraint was exercised,” Rrumbullaku said. “The leaders were asked to talk to the groups leading the resistance, but it didn’t happen. After that, the police used the standard procedures for managing the crowd and the only tool was the individual spray, part of the equipment of the police officers.”
Regarding at least 21 injured members of the MEK, the director of police explained that “action was taken to open the way for the movement of police vehicles and officers,” while “there are 15 injured police officers and several vehicles damaged.”
Rrumbullaku said that in implementation of the decision of the special court “96 computer units, 49 laptops, two tablets, 3 memory cards and a lot of written material that were tried to be destroyed by burning by some MEK members were seized.”
-MEK’s activities tied to last year’s Iranian cyberattack on Albania-
A year ago, Albania cut off diplomatic ties with Iran, after the country was identified as a source of a massive cyberattack on the Albanian state computer networks. The Iranian regime group tied the attack has been leaking sensitive data ever since and several new attacks have been fended off.
With police looking for MEK servers in their raid, experts told Albanian media MEK is suspected of conducting cyberattacks of its own on Iran and possibly elsewhere from its compound in Albania, something Albanian authorities say they won’t tolerate as it is illegal under Albanian law.
When Iran attacked Albania’s infrastructure, the move led to strong reactions from Albania’s NATO and other allies and to renewed U.S. sanctions of Iran.
Relations between Albania and Iran have deteriorated over the years, with Iranian diplomats up to an ambassador being expelled for unfriendly actions tied to Tirana’s agreement to provide asylum, at the request of the United States, to MEK, the Iranian dissident group.
