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Revision as of 03:20, 24 January 2007
Massoud Rajavi (Persian: مسعود رجوی) is the leader of People's Mujahedin of Iran (MKO), a terrorist organization (opposition group to the Islamic Republic of Iran) active outside of Iran (Regarded terrorist by the EU, US, Russia, Canada and Iran).
Rajavi was in prison during Shah's rule and was only released close to the 1979 Revolution. He hoped that his organization gets an important part of the power after the overthrow of Shah, but that has not happened. Gradually after the Revolution, he went to the opposition and finally declared war to the Iranian revolutionary regime. As a result, his organization went under fire and he and many of his supporters escaped the country. First, they established themselves in France, but later moved to Iraq and set up a base on the Iran-Iraq border since 1986. Most Iranians consider Masoud Rajavi and his organization (MKO) as traitors, because of their presence and alleged assistance to Saddam Hussein, while Iraq was attacking Iran. There are discussions on whether or not he sided with Saddam Hussein in the eight year Iran-Iraq War, though.
The US State Department as well as the European Union classify MKO as a terrorist organization. Increasing members of the MKO (soldiers) are starting to return to Iran and claim asylum.
Massoud Rajavi seems to be either dead or in hiding, since the American occupation of Iraq. Since that time, nobody has seen or heard from him, not even in the form of a video or audio tape addressing the members of the MKO.
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