Tehran – a well-paid job, a nice car, a big house, a fulfilling marriage, or healthy children – these are some of the most common aspirations for adults in society. But for 67-year-old Issa Azadeh, the majority of his life revolved around much simpler desires. “My biggest wish was to sleep comfortably for a few hours,” he said in an interview with the Tehran Times.
As we began to speak, Issa turned to the floor. Reading him was hard. He looked like a clutter of things: anxiety, numbness, anger, regret…but you’ll see a flicker of hope somewhere. Before delving into his experience with Mujahideen e Kalk (MEK), a terrorist organization known for its dogmatic indoctrination and isolated, closely controlled environment, he said he wanted people to understand everywhere how dangerous MEK is, both to a world beyond the wall.
“When I joined MEK, I was very educated,” he explained. “I was a university graduate and I had family, work, and social connections, but after engaging with the organization, everything was lost.
After the Islamic Revolution in 1979, he was introduced to MEK while studying engineering at the renowned Tehran University, and under the influence of his friends, Issa joined the organization and became a high-ranking member in 38 years. He spent 20 years at Iraqi Camp Ashraf during Saddam Hussein’s Iranian invasion before being disbanded by Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki in 2003. After the camp closure, Issa moved to Camp Privati near Baghdad, along with other MEK members. He eventually left MEK before moving to Albania in 2016.
Issa says that almost every day he spent with MEK, he was tired, humiliating and dehumanized.
“We all woke up to the sound of high-pitched wind instruments at 5am. It was incredibly uncomfortable. It took about 20 minutes to have breakfast. Then the exhausted day began. We had to clean the area, protect the camp and carry out our mission outside. The TV remote was still locked in the box. Precautions that seemed unnecessary. After all, only the person in charge of the TV schedule knew how to use it.
Issa said the most difficult part of the day was the joint criticism session. “One of the biggest taboos was having sexual thought. We were forced to analyze our emotions, explain our fantasies in detail, and express our regret over and over. After that, others join in, and one start will also old us.”
Forced divorce followed by forced marriage
This guy, the typical leader like Rajabi, got hooked on sex. Initially, he ordered some members of the organization to marry each other. However, after realising that marriage and family had engrossed in the hearts of those considering his dedicated followers, he determined that everyone should get divorced. Rajavi later declared that all the women in the group became his wife. This is an allegation demonstrated by former female members of MEK who frequently reported sexual abuse and exploitation exploitation by Rajabi herself.
“The divorce process that members were forced to endure was one of the most inhumane and incredible events I could imagine,” Isa said. He had not taken his wife and children to camp with him, but he still had to divorce his wife in his heart. “Couples within the organization were ordered to stand face to face each other and throw despicable blasphems at each other.” Reflecting Iranian cultural norms in which men usually avoid avoiding curses in front of women, Issa refused to repeat the exact words for me. “Even unmarried people have been ordered to undergo a ‘psychological divorce’ within or outside the organization. ”
Soon afterwards, strict separation was enacted. Men and women had to use separate routes within the camp to minimize contact. “There was a gas station inside Ashraf camp and we refueled the vehicles used for patrols. We were not even allowed to visit the gas station on the same day,” Issa revealed.
The mass “marriage” of MEK women and rajabi occurred some time after the male-female contact was cut off. Rajavi’s own wife, Mariam Kajal Azdhanl – divorced Rajavi’s friend and after scandalous events he became Rajavi’s wife, but was an important man who manipulates other women to accept “sacred” duties.
“I didn’t know this was happening when I was still part of the organization because I rarely talked to women there, and admitting sexual assault often comes with a lot of shame.
The Taliban and Dash were less oppressive towards women than the MEK, Issa said. No one in the organization enjoyed rights or privacy, but women were particularly treated as disposable.
“People ask individuals like me why we didn’t leave the organization early,” Issa said, looking at me with a bitter smile.
Children who have been killed, trafficked or indoctrinated
In 1990, Rajabi took another important step to conquer the MEK members. He separated the child from his parents. These children lived in separate compounds near the headquarters of their parents in Iraq.
“There were about 700 people, all different ages. They were on buses and shipped to Jordan,” Issa said. What followed was a tragedy. Some have never made it, some have been exploited by human traffickers, others have been involved in crime, others have been caught up in brothels. Approximately 300 remained, either sent to distant relatives or relegated to MEK-owned homes in Europe.
A few years later, some of the children who became adults after hearing the ideal stories of Rajavi’s propaganda and the “heroic” behavior of their parents, joined MEK. Their overall view? Like something from a bad Hollywood movie. But they could quickly come to their senses. “Many of them eventually left MEK again. I think they’re smarter than their parents.”
Now in their 40s, some of these former children’s members have recently begun sharing their experiences. They frequently face threats from the organization and are accused of being “ungrateful.”
US-funded “Mission” from Mek
Like many who joined the revolution against the Shah, Rajabi lacked the popular support that was prominently and popular in the new political system after the monarchy fell. What set him apart was the US interest in using him to destabilize Iran, which began while incarcerated under Shah.
MEK was first formed in 1965 by left-wing students. He became the group leader in 1979. Issa believed that the CIA purely believed in communist groups, some of which formed under the influence of the Soviet Union during the reign of the Shah.
Rajabi left Iran in 1981 and after failing to bid two powers: a presidential election and a seat in parliament. The next one followed was a descent into terrorism. Under the order and support of the CIA, coordinates famous assassinations – Rajabi has changed the MEK against his people. Political leaders and military commanders were not the only targets. Ordinary Iranians became victims of brutal murders. Mek’s hands are now stained with about 23,000 blood, and a collaboration with Iraqi Saddam Hussein deepened his wounds as he helped him inflict further victims on his hometown.
However, the operational capabilities of the organization are currently declining significantly. MEK struggles to recruit younger generations, with the rest of Albania members primarily older and frail. “I think there are about 2,000 members left in the organization. Some people are unable to manage their daily lives due to illness or old age. A small number of young members are primarily involved in cyber activities,” Isa said.
As of 2025, MEK is also being exploited by paying vulnerable young people in Iran, especially those with difficult pasts and financial difficulties, to perform simple tasks within the country. These tasks include the act of Public Display, such as the hanging posters of Masoud Rajavi and Maryam Qajar-Azdanlu in prominent locations like Tehran Highways.
For payment, these young people also fired government buildings, mosques, education centres and public transport, and the arson attack reached a high point amidst fall 2022.
“The US and its European allies that support these terrorists know that the MEK cannot defeat Iran, anyone who otherwise deceives themselves,” Issa said.
Issa left Iraq and MEK on December 26, 2011 at 4:30pm. “I left for my birthday. A relative I had in the UK contacted UNHCR and UNAMI in Baghdad and secretly arranged my exit.”
Adjusting to life outside of MEK camp was initially difficult. Isa, isolated from technology and modern life, faced with ridiculous laughter. “People were laughing at me,” he said. “They couldn’t believe I didn’t know how to operate televisions, cell phones, or anything else that wasn’t widely used in Iran in the early ’80s.”
Issa had one daughter and one son when he left to join Mech. His young daughter’s visit was the catalyst for the final departure from the group. “One day, my daughter came to Iraq. It was at war. I remember it was almost 60 degrees and hot.”
Issa’s daughter arrived in an area near Camp Ashraf with the support of the Nejat Association, an NGO formed by former MEK members. “My daughter was standing outside Ashraf camp behind the fence. The organization refused to let her see me and didn’t say she was there either.