The Association for Defending Victims of Terrorism (ADVT) has called on the international community, International Labor Organization, and international organizations to help end decades of captivity of workers in the terrorist organization of the Hypocrites (Mojahedine-e Khalq – (MEK)).
For many years, the phenomenon of terrorism has gone beyond war, violence and killing people. Under the pretext of providing jobs and better lives in other countries, it deceives job seekers and enslaves them, which are other manifestations of modern slavery.
One of these violations of workers’ rights occurred during the reign of former Iraqi dictator Saddam Hussein, when Mojahedine-e Khalq terrorist group deceived job seekers by promising them to find new jobs, education and a better life in Europe. They told the workers that the office of the company is in Baghdad and transferred them to Iraq. Then, the workers were captive in the organizational jail of the terrorist group and their identification documents were confiscated. So, the terrorist cult prevented them from leaving the camp and the captivity and slavery continued.
Bad social conditions and critical situations will lead to terrorist groups’ extreme abuse to recruit people. For example, in the current critical situation which has led to economic recession and unemployment of many workers, this process will increase. UN Secretary-General said on Monday “extremist groups are taking advantage of COVID-19 lockdowns to intensify social media efforts to spread hatred and recruit young people who are spending more time online.” Before the pandemic of COVID-19 he had said “One of every five young people was not getting an education, training or working, and one of every four was affected by violence or conflict. And he lamented that every year, 12 million girls become mothers when they are still children.”
Human rights organizations and international worker rights advocacy organizations have made great efforts to defend the rights of workers, but the issue of the damage of terrorism to the working class, especially deceiving them under the pretext of job placement, is still being overlooked. Accordingly, International Labor Day will be an important opportunity for the relevant institutions to address this fundamental problem of the working class and other similar issues all over the world.
Commemorating International Labor Day and extending its sympathy to the families of those affected by terrorism, the Association for Defending Victims of Terrorism calls on international, regional and national organizations and bodies to take the following measures to end the long captivity of the Iranian workers in the Mujahedin-e Khalq (the Hypocrites) terrorist organization in Albania and other similar cases in other parts of the world and prevent the recurrence of such deceptions.
ADVT calls on,
- The International Labor Organization, in cooperation with other relevant bodies, especially the United Nations, to have a specific plan to release the captive workers in the terrorist cult of the Mujahedin-e Khalq (the Hypocrites) in Albania.
- The International Labor Organization to take precautionary measures to prevent the recurrence of such frauds under the pretext of job replacement.
- The UN Special Rapporteur on the right of everyone to the enjoyment of the highest attainable standard of physical and mental health, in cooperation with the World Health Organization, to send a delegation to Albania to visit and ensure the health of the captive workers in the Mujahedin-e Khalq (the Hypocrites) terrorist cult in the critical situation of COVID-19 pandemic.
