NCRI – The Federal Office for the Protection of the German Constitution (BfV) has revealed that the Iranian regime’s intelligence efforts in Berlin are concentrated against the main opposition “People’s Mojahedin Organization of Iran (PMOI/MEK)” and the “National Council of Resistance of Iran (NCRI).”
In its annual report, which was publicized on Monday by the Interior Minister and the head of the BfV, the organ says that the main thrust of activities of the Iranian intelligence services is to monitor and decisively confront opposition groups both inside and outside Iran. These services also gather political, economic and scientific intelligence in western countries in addition to actions against the opposition.
NCRI – The Federal Office for the Protection of the German Constitution (BfV) has revealed that the Iranian regime’s intelligence efforts in Berlin are concentrated against the main opposition “People’s Mojahedin Organization of Iran (PMOI/MEK)” and the “National Council of Resistance of Iran (NCRI).”
In its annual report, which was publicized on Monday by the Interior Minister and the head of the BfV, the organ says that the main thrust of activities of the Iranian intelligence services is to monitor and decisively confront opposition groups both inside and outside Iran. These services also gather political, economic and scientific intelligence in western countries in addition to actions against the opposition.
Separately, the BfV removed the PMOI and the NCRI from its list of “foreign extremist organizations.” The move came after an extensive political and legal campaign by the Iranian Resistance, coupled with efforts of some German parliamentarians and a legal opinion by Professor Hassemer a prominent German jurist.
Professor Hassemer, a former first deputy at the German Supreme Court, which is the highest judicial body in Germany, wrote in a legal opinion that the inclusion of the PMOI and the NCRI on the list of extremist organizations, which took place 17 years ago as a goodwill gesture toward the Iranian regime, violates the fundamental constitutional rights of the PMOI, the NCRI and their supporters on 9 separate instances. He noted that the BfV’s actions with regards to the PMOI and the NCRI are not compliant with constitutional standards.
On Monday, the Federal Minister of the Interior, Thomas de Maizière, held a joint press conference with the President of the Federal Office for the Protection of the Constitution, Heinz Fromm. They unveiled the BfV’s annual report. In a section entitled “The activities of the intelligence services of other countries on German territory,” the report also points to the Iranian regime’s Ministry of Intelligence and Security (MOIS) in Germany, which violates the sovereignty of the country, and says, among other things,
“The Islamic Republic’s Intelligence services form an important base for the regime in this country. The main organs involved are the MOIS and the intelligence organization of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC). The main responsibilities of the Iranian regime’s intelligence apparatus revolve around monitoring and severely confronting opposition groups inside and outside Iran. In addition to this, these intelligence services gather intelligence in the fields of politics, economy, and science.”
“The Iranian regime’s espionage activities against Germany are primarily carried out by the MOIS. Spying efforts in the context of gathering information about the exiled opposition are concentrated on the PMOI and the NCRI. Other espionage objectives of the regime are German foreign and security policy.
“The headquarters of the MOIS in Germany is at the Iranian embassy in Berlin, the mission of which is to monitor (Iranian) dissidents residing in Germany. In addition to this, the intelligence headquarters in Germany lends logistical support to MOIS in Tehran.”
The PMOI was included in the list of foreign extremist organizations since the 1990s. It was removed on Monday after an extensive political and legal campaign by the Iranian Resistance, as well as the efforts of a large number of parliamentarians in the country and Professor Hassemer’s legal opinion. Prior to this, in recent weeks, BfV offices in 11 German provinces had also removed the PMOI and NCRI from their lists.
The listing of the PMOI as well as the monitoring and limiting of its activities, in addition to including clauses against the organization in the BfV’s annual reports, were the clerical regime’s demands from the German government during the past two decades. The Iranian regime has used all of its diplomatic, trade and political leverages, while also actively exchanging intelligence, to influence German state organs against the PMOI and the NCRI. In May 2000, then-Intelligence Minister of the Iranian regime, Ali Younesi, said at a press conference in Tehran that there is persistent cooperation with German security offices, which had been supplied “comprehensive information” about the PMOI.
BfV annual reports against the PMOI and the NCRI in recent years formed the basis of of violations of the fundamental rights of many PMOI and NCRI supporters in Germany. The reports also imposed a serious political barrier against Iranian Resistance activities against the clerical regime.
Professor Hassemer’s 122-page opinion reviewed BfV reports throughtout the years. The former Deputy Judge of the Supreme Court’s opinion played an important part in the Resistance’s political and legal campaign. Dr. Hassemer, who for years served as the second highest judicial authority in Germany, condemned the influence of foreign policy considerations and German ties with the Iranian regime over security assessments about the PMOI and the NCRI. His legal opinion concluded that in 9 instances the PMOI’s fundamental constitutional rights have been violated or became prone to being violated as a result of the BfV reports.
On the basis of Prof. Hassemer’s opinion, parties harmed by the BfV reports could file complaints to call for rectification of the reports. The opinion also concluded that the BfV’s conduct towards the PMOI and the NCRI fail to align with legal German standards dictated by the constitution.
