ByNews Desk- The Cradle
The MEK rally in Paris took place less than two weeks after the group's headquarters was raided by police in the Albanian capital
As the EU nation entered a sixth straight night of unrest following the police murder of an Arab teenager, Kanaani chastised officials for “paving the way for a rally of terrorists” instead of “making up for their past mistakes” or “correcting their biased and racist treatment of French citizens.”
“Those terrorists, who have betrayed their own country by committing shocking and horrible crimes, will certainly not hesitate to betray their foreign supporters. Therefore, those who support terrorists will not only fail to benefit from them but will be harmed by the moves of these evildoers,” the Iranian official said.
He also warned Paris of “political and legal” ramifications if it continues to accommodate the extremist group.
Over the weekend, dozens of MEK supporters rallied on the outskirts of Paris to call for overthrowing the Iranian government. While French police initially banned the rally under concerns of “creating disturbances,” a court reversed the decision on 30 June.
Branded a terrorist organization by Tehran, the ‘cult-like‘ and ‘deep-pocketed‘ MEK has carried out numerous attacks against Iranian civilians and officials since the victory of the Islamic Revolution in 1979.
According to Tehran, out of nearly 17,000 Iranians killed in terror attacks over the past four decades, about 12,000 were victims of the MEK.
Kanaani’s condemnation of the rally came just hours after the Iranian Intelligence Ministry announced it would “seriously pursue” anti-Iran extremists beyond the country’s borders.
Highlighting that Tehran “consistently” warns EU intelligence services about the MEK, the ministry also commended Albania for the recent raid on the group’s main camp, saying it was a “step forward.”
Two weeks ago, MEK fighters violently confronted Albanian police who raided their headquarters after a court order was issued to investigate unsanctioned political activities against a 2014 US-brokered agreement that allowed thousands of the group’s members to reside in the West Balkans nation.
“Today’s operation was carried out in accordance with the laws and according to the ruling of the Supreme Court against terrorism,” the statement by the Albanian interior ministry reads.
For his part, Albanian Prime Minister Edi Rama said the group “cannot use the country” to fight the government in Iran.
The MEK reportedly used their presence in Albania as a base for political activities, including, at the very least, cyber-attacks directed against third countries and mass online harassment of the group’s many opponents.
These activities violated the US-mediated agreement with Tirana, which allowed thousands of members to relocate from Iraq, where they cooperated with Saddam Hussein in the latter stages of the Iran-Iraq war.
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