The recent statement by the Kurdistan Democratic Party of Iran (PDK-I)<\/b> in response to the punishment of two members of the Mojahedin-e Khalq (MEK) is viewed by analysts as more than a simple human rights stance. By offering official condolences to the organization itself, the PDK-I has moved away from neutrality, signaling a political alignment with a group whose history in Iran\u2014especially in the western regions\u2014is deeply intertwined with violence and direct military action.<\/p>\nRecords of Violence in Kurdish Regions and Operation “Eternal Light”<\/b><\/h4>\n
Over the past decades, the MEK has claimed responsibility for extensive assassinations targeting thousands of Iranians, including many Iranian Kurds<\/b>.<\/p>\n Cooperation with Saddam:<\/b> The group’s direct collaboration with the Iraqi Ba’athist regime against Iran during the Imposed War remains a primary point of criticism.<\/p>\n<\/li>\n Operation Eternal Light (Forough Javidan):<\/b> This military operation, launched through western Iran (including Islamabad-e Gharb and Sarpol-e Zahab), is remembered by the Kurdish people for its brutality. Local accounts of the organization\u2019s slogans, such as “Kill anyone who has a beard,”<\/b> remain a symbol of the extreme violence of that era.<\/p>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n Historical records indicate deeper structural and political links between the two movements:<\/p>\n The Ba’athist Connection:<\/b> Abdul Rahman Ghassemlou\u2019s cooperation with Saddam Hussein mirrors the footage released after the fall of the Ba’athist regime showing Masoud Rajavi\u2019s direct meetings with Saddam.<\/p>\n<\/li>\n Organizational Similarities:<\/b> According to the archives of the IKHRW (Iranian Kurdistan Human Rights Watch)<\/b>, many defectors from Kurdish armed groups have noted striking structural and organizational similarities between the Rajavi cult and the PDK-I after studying historical documents.<\/p>\n<\/li>\n The Paveh Incident:<\/b> The violent history of the PDK-I in the early years of the Revolution, including the events in Paveh<\/b>, reinforces the belief among analysts that these two movements share similar military and political methodologies.<\/p>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n A significant aspect of the MEK\u2019s history is its long-standing presence on international terrorist lists:<\/p>\n Blacklists:<\/b> The United States (until 2012), the European Union (until 2009), Canada (until 2012), and the United Kingdom (until 2008) all designated the MEK as a terrorist organization.<\/p>\n<\/li>\n Removal via Political Pressure:<\/b> The group’s removal from the U.S. State Department\u2019s list in 2012 followed a 2010 D.C. Appeals Court ruling and was ultimately achieved through intense political lobbying and pressure from the U.S. government, rather than a fundamental change in the group’s nature.<\/p>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n The issuance of a condolence message by the PDK-I to the MEK is seen as a continuation of a long-standing political trajectory. Given the deep-seated resentment within a large portion of Iranian society toward the MEK’s history of terrorism and wartime betrayal, this stance by the PDK-I only reinforces the perception that these two movements share fundamental strategic goals and political paths.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" This report explores the roots of convergence between the Kurdistan Democratic Party of Iran (PDK-I) and the Mojahedin-e Khalq Organization (MEK) following a recent official statement. An analysis of operational records in western Iran, cooperation with the Ba’athist regime, and the groups’ status on international terror lists suggests a strategic alignment that transcends mere human rights advocacy.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":6,"featured_media":5470,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[1721,2],"tags":[1876,228,1877,1875,1879,1878,1881,1377,1880,1882],"class_list":["post-5469","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-editors-pick","category-report","tag-abdul-rahman-ghassemlou","tag-ikhrw","tag-masoud-rajavi","tag-mek","tag-mek-crimes-in-kurdistan","tag-operation-eternal-light","tag-paveh-incident","tag-pdki","tag-saddam-hussein","tag-terrorist-organizations-list"],"yoast_head":"\n\n
Historical Ties: From Abdul Rahman Ghassemlou to Masoud Rajavi<\/b><\/h4>\n
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International Terrorist Designations and Political Pressure<\/b><\/h4>\n
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Conclusion<\/b><\/h4>\n