MEK Members and Pressure Groups Mobilizing to Support the MEK
It is illegal to coordinate with a foreign terrorist organization to advocate on behalf of that group. However, members of the Mujahaden-e Khalq (MEK) and groups that the State Department has described as Mujahaden “shell organizations” continue to actively lobby Congress and pay large sums of money to former U.S. officials to speak on behalf of the MEK.
According to the State Department, the MEK “has formed associated groups with benign names” to promote its cause.
Below is a list of groups that have advocated on behalf of the MEK. Aside from the Iran Policy Committee, none are registered as nonprofits with the IRS, and many are not registered as nonprofits with their state government either.
Committee for Human Rights in Iran
President: N/A
Officers: "The seven defendants who pleaded guilty are:
Roya Rahmani, of Vienna, Virginia, 48;
Alireza Mohammadmoradi, of Los Angeles, 38;
Moustafa Ahmady, of Los Angeles, 54;
Hossein Kalani Afshari, of Mission Veijo, 52;
Hassan Rezaie, of Los Angeles, 54;
Navid Taj, of Santa Monica, 58; and
Mohammad Omidvar, of Corona, 54."
Website: N/A
Registered non-profit with IRS? No
Registered non-profit with State? Suspended
Notes:According
to the FBI,
seven individuals "admitted that they knowingly raised funds to support
the activities of the MEK by collecting money from MEK supporters and
soliciting money from unwitting donors at public locations, such as Los
Angeles International Airport. The unwitting donors were told that they were
supporting a charity called the Committee for Human Rights (CHR), which was
sometimes referred to as the Committee for Human Rights in Iran. However, CHR
was simply a “front organization” for MEK fund-raising operations in the
United States, and CHR was being used by the MEK as a front to raise money to
support MEK operations and activities, including its terrorist activities.
Address: 8703 LA TIJERA BLVD STE 204, LOS ANGELES CA 90045
Iranian-American Community of Northern Virginia
President: Shahin Haj-Momenin
Officers: Shirin Nariman, spokesperson
Website: No website
Registered non-profit with IRS? No
Registered non-profit with State? Yes
Notes: Assets
frozen in 2004 for holding a fundraiser, allegedly for the benefit of the
MEK. For more
information, see the Washington Post article, "Charity Event May Have
Terrorist Link"
(http://www.washingtonpost.com/ac2/wp-dyn/A58296-2004Jan28)
Address: 1160
ROBINDALE DR Great Falls, VA 22066
Association of Iranian Women
President: Shirin Nariman
Officers: -
Website: No website
Registered non-profit with IRS?No
Registered non-profit with State? No
Notes:The State Department has publicly described how this
organization is part of the MEK's strategy of using "associated groups
with benign names." This group
cosponsored the 2004 MEK fundraiser that led the U.S. government to freeze
the assets of the primary sponsor, the "Iranian-American Community of
Northern Virginia." The President, Shirin Nariman, also served
as the spokesperson for the controversial event. Nariman now serves as a spokesperson for
"Council for Democratic Change in Iran.
Address: 85 S
Bragg St Ste 200a Alexandria, VA,22312 Tel: 703-941-8584
Council
for Democratic Change in Iran
President: None
Listed
Officers: Shirin
Nariman, Mehdi Marand, spokespersons
Notes: The Institute for Policy Studies' Rightweb describes the
organization as a "front group for the MEK." It has hosted a
conference featuring MEK leader Maryam Rajavi.
(http://www.rightweb.irc-online.org/profile/Iran_Policy_Committee) A spokesperson for this group is Shirin
Nariman, who served as President of the Association of Iranian Women, a group
the State Department has publicly described as being part of the MEK's
strategy of using "associated groups with benign names." Nariman also served as the spokesperson for a 2004 fundraising
event that led the U.S. government to freeze the assets of the primary
sponsor, the "Iranian American Community of Northern Virginia."
Address: 3220 N
Street, NW, Suite 152, Washington DC, 20007, 2829
Iranian
Society of South Florida
President: Bahman
Badiee
Officers: Mehraz
Rahimi, Treasurer; Akbar Nikooie, Vice President
Website: No website
Registered non-profit with IRS? No
Registered non-profit with State? Yes
Notes: This organization has been identified as a “MEK front group” in
media reports and cosponsored 2004 MEK fundraiser that led the U.S.
government to freeze the assets of the primary sponsor, which called itself the “Iranian-American Community of
Northern Virginia.” A key officer has paid the lobbying firm DLA Piper at
least $210,000 to lobby for the MEK since 2008. The Chairwoman of the House Foreign Affairs
Committee lists an award from the group on her website, and has received
significant donations from its officers.
Address: 12973
SW 112th St Ste 246 Miami, FL 33186
Notes:A consulting firm run by Alireza Jafarzadeh, the “former” spokesperson and chief congressional liaison for the terror-listed NCRI. A 2004 FBI report states “Soona Samsami and Alireza Jafarzadeh appear to be running the MEK cell in the Washington D.C. area.” SPC's website indicates a strong, if not exclusive, focus on supporting the MEK. Jafarzadeh speaks on behalf of the MEK at SPC press conferences, and Jafarzadeh was witnessed coaching witnesses before a Congressional hearing on the MEK in July 2011.
Address:1101 Pennsylvania Ave. N.W. Suite 600 Washington, D.C. 20004
Near
East Policy Research
President: Ali
Safavi, President
Officers: Jubin
Afshar, Phillip Laith, Nima Sharif, Hamid Yazdan
Registered non-profit with State? Registered
in VA
Notes: The President and controlling official is Ali Safavi, who is
part of the leadership for the terror-designated NCRI. Safavi has been photographed armed and in
military fatigues at Camp Ashraf.NEPR's website indicates a strong, if not
exclusive, focus on supporting the MEK.
Address: Near
East Policy Research Inc.P.O. BOX 11632 Alexandria, VA 22312
Notes: According to The Hill newspaper, Hamid Azimi was "once
president of the Southern California Society of Iranian Scholars and
Professors, another MEK front group." A 2005 conference by the group featured MEK
leader Maryam Rajavi. The Hill
newspaper has also reported:
(http://thehill.com/business-a-lobbying/165921-top-lobby-firm-works-to-remove-group-from-terrorist-list)
"Akin Gump Strauss Hauer & Feld has registered to lobby on behalf of
the Iranian American Community of Northern California to support removal of
the Mujahedin-e Khalq (MEK) — otherwise known as the People's Mujahedin of
Iran — from the State Department’s Foreign Terrorist Organizations list,
according to lobbying disclosure records released two weeks ago.
Representatives Ileana Ros-Lehtinen (R-FL); Ted “Judge” Poe (R-TX); John
Lewis (D-GA); Darrell Issa (R-CA); Brad Sherman (D-CA); Sheila Jackson Lee
(D-TX); Judi Chu (D-CA); David Scott (D-GA); and Hank Johnson (D-GA), as well
as General James T. Conway, Howard Dean, Louis Freeh, Anita McBride, Ed
Rendell, Sara Sewall, Hugh Shelton, Togo West Jr., James Jones, Michael
Mukasey, Tom Ridge, Paula Dobriansky, Louis Freeh, and Dell Dailey have
spoken at events organized by the "Iranian American Community of
Northern California." Several prominent former officials have
acknowledged being paid significant amounts of money to speak about the
MEK.
Address: 2892
Bellflower Blvd, Suite # 276 Long Beach CA 90815
Southern
California Society for Democracy in Iran
President: Nasser
Sharif
Officers: -
Website: No
website
Registered non-profit with IRS? No
Registered non-profit with State? Suspended
Notes: John
Bolton, Andrew Card, Michael Mukasey, John Sano, Steven Schneebaum, Robert
Torricelli, Rep. Ileana Ros-Lehtinen, Rep. Judy Chu, Rep. Bob Filner, Rep.
Ted Poe, and Rep. Dana Rohrabacher, have spoken at events organized by this
group. Several prominent former officials have acknowledged being paid
significant amounts of money to speak about the MEK.
Registered non-profit with State? Registered
in VA on 4/11/11
Notes: Robert
Bruce McColm is a Chairman at the pro-MEK Iran Policy Committee and is the
President of "International Decision Strategies," which is based
out of the same row house as "Near East Human Rights Initiative" --
911 Duke St. in Arlington, VA. Bartel
& Associates, which provides accounting services for the Iran Policy
Committee, is also based out of the same house. McColm's
International Decision Strategies and Bartel & Associates both provided
services to Ahmad Chalabi and his Iraqi National Congress, a group notorious
for providing faulty intelligence to promote war with Iraq. The Iran Policy
Committee was based out of the same
house for the first year of its existence.
For more information, please see the article "Neocon Iran Policy
Committee tied to disgraced Iraqi National Congress" and "Bruce McColm’s Dealings With Equatorial Guinea".
Andrew Card, Howard Dean, Mayor Rudy Giuliani, Tom Ridge, Philip Zelikow,
Michael Sheehan, Colonel Gary Morsch, and Amb. Mitchell Reiss all recently
spoke at an event organized by this group.
Several prominent former officials have acknowledged being paid
significant amounts of money to speak about the MEK.
Address: 911
Duke Street, Alexandria Virginia, 22314 Tel.: 571-505-3604; info@NEHRI.org
Notes: Robert
Bruce McColm is a Chairman at the pro-MEK Iran Policy Committee and is the
President of "International Decision Strategies," which is based
out of the same row house as "Near East Human Rights Initiative,"
911 Duke St. in Arlington, VA. Bartel
& Associates, which provides accounting services for the Iran Policy
Committee, is also based out of the same house. International Decision
Strategies and Bartel & Associates both provided services to Ahmad
Chalabi and his Iraqi National Congress, a group notorious for providing
faulty intelligence to promote war with Iraq. The Iran Policy Committee
was based out of the same house for
the first year of its existence. For
more information, please see the article "Neocon Iran Policy Committee
tied to disgraced Iraqi National Congress" and "Bruce McColm’s Dealings With Equatorial Guinea".
Address: 3700
Massachusetts AVE, NW Suite 507, Washington DC 20016
Officers: JManoochehr
Shadnia, Vice President Mohammad Salem, Secretary Ozra Movahedan, Board Member
Nosratollah Kandezi, Director of Transportation & Logistics
Parviz Nejad, Director of Transportation & Logistics
Ed Veissy, Publisher
Mark Soleimany, Director of Outreach
Fatemeh Nema, Director of Women's Program
Sara Shadnia, Director of Youth Programs
Hanifeh Khoda, Director of Youth Programs
Website:No
website
Registered non-profit with IRS?No
Registered non-profit with State? No
Notes: A
previous organization started by Hossein Beladi was "involuntarily
dissolved" (Iranian American Community of Illinois).
Address: 9332
Luna Ave. Morton Grove, IL. 60053-1544
This group was incorporated on 06/06/2011 after a media report said the
group was operating without a business license. According to the same media report,
Colorado organizations are required to register if they are operating on a
budget at or above $25,000.
Notes: Has paid
the firm DiGenova & Toensing at least $60,000 for services, including
lobbying for the "REMOVAL OF MUJAHEEDIN-E KHALQ (MEK) FROM U.S. DEPT. OF
STATE FOREIGN TERRORIST ORGANIZATION (FTO) LIST."
Address: 1124
Emily Ln Carrollton, TX 75010
The
National Coalition of Pro-Democracy Advocates
President: Dr.
Haydar Akbari
Officers: Nasser
Rashidi, Executive Director Shahab Sariri, Vice Chairman and Director of Public Relations
Mrs. Cynthia Lou Besharatpour, Secretary
Daniel M. Zucker, Board of Counselors
Notes: According
to Guidestar, "this organization's exempt status was automatically
revoked by the IRS for failure to file a Form 990, 990-EZ, 990-N, or 990-PF
for 3 consecutive years. Further investigation and due diligence are
warranted." Nasser Rashidi
reportedly (http://www.warandpiece.com/blogdirs/001883.html) bankrolled a
2005 event that featured MEK leader Maryam Rajavi.
Address: 2020
Pennsylvania Ave, NW, Suite 235 Washington, DC 20006
Notes: Shares the same address as "US Committee for Camp Ashraf Residents"
Address: 2020 Pennsylvania Ave., NW, #195 Washington, DC 20006
Human Rights and Democracy International
President: -
Officers: -
Website: -
Registered non-profit with IRS? No
Registered non-profit with State? No
Notes: The
State Department has publicly described how this organization is part of the
MEK's strategy of using "associated groups with benign names." This group cosponsored the 2004 MEK
fundraiser that led the U.S. government to freeze the assets of the primary
sponsor, the "Iranian-American Community of Northern
Virginia."
Address: -
Iranian
American Community of Georgia
President: Javad
Mirzai
Officers: -
Website:No
website
Registered non-profit with IRS? No
Registered non-profit with State? Dissolved/Revoked
